Baptism of the Phoenix
by Delie
Summary: Set during OOTP. Fed up with life in Grimmauld Place, Sirius looks back on his time in the original Order. Basically, all the stuff that happened during Voldemort's first reign told in flashbacks. Hate summaries, although there is a more interesting one i
1. Solitary Confinement

**A/N… Thank you for coming to check out my new fic! Just a little note to set the scene- We begin just after Sirius's incident with Umbridge in the fire…so October OOTP time. This fic basically revolves around Sirius's memories of the original Order of the Phoenix. Although we are in OOTP time there is a lot of flashback type stuff going on, all of that will be in italic, to keep my own brain right if nothing else. I've tried  to keep the history bits as they are in GOF and OOTP but if you want to dispute anything feel free….Ok I'll let you go now…Please R/R!**

**Baptism of the Phoenix**

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**_Chapter 1: Solitary Confinement_**

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The dim, cavernous kitchen of number twelve Grimmauld Place was gloomier than ever at night. Not one charitable beam of moonlight could enter the unwelcoming basement room, only a single candle flickered within the whole house. The insoluble darkness was penetrated only by the thunderous snores of Kreacher the house-elf, as he slept peacefully upon a pile of filthy rags in the boiler room. 

The only other sign of life within number twelve came from the hunched figure at the kitchen table. 

Sirius Black had not moved for several hours, not that this was not unusual. He would regularly spend the whole night here, in the freezing kitchen, completely alone. 

The solitary candle that sat upon the shabby table-top gave just enough light to illuminate the impressive collection of empty Firewhisky bottles that had gathered there to join the solemn party. 

Sirius looked mournfully at the glass vessels as they glistened below the lonely flame, each one an accusing memento of the wasted hours he had spent wallowing in self pity.

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He could not remember ever feeling so low. 

Never had life been so empty that the days simply melted together, forming one long, endless ordeal. Even Azkaban had provided him with a few unhinged psychopaths with whom he could indulge in manic screaming matches. 

Sirius had hoped that his brief meeting with Harry might have broken the monotony-instead he had succeeded only in frightening his godson away.

…Well, with any luck his dangerous meeting with Umbridge might have worried Dumbledore enough to have him send an Order member to Grimmauld Place, bearing a memorised lecture…

~ 'What were you thinking, Sirius?'~

~ 'You could have been caught, Sirius!' ~

…Drone…Drone…Drone, Sirius…

He smiled guiltily to himself.

 'Maybe Remus will come,' he thought hopefully. 'He's the best orchestrator of guilt trips on the planet...naturally Dumbledore would send him.'

Tipping half a goblet-full of Firewhisky down his throat, Sirius felt slightly uneasy. 

He did not want to worry Lupin. 

He knew how seriously he oldest friend would take the news of the Umbridge affair.

'He'll be here soon,' Sirius thought gloomily. 'He'll see that I'm alright.'

Peering down at his wrist-watch Sirius found that he could no longer focus properly on anything further than an inch from his face. The effects of the amber liquor were beginning to make him feel light headed. He rubbed his unshaven face absently. 

Whatever the time, Umbridge would doubtlessly have gone bleating to the Ministry by now.

'Remus should be on his way…any minute.'

As Sirius allowed the happy thought to drift through his mind, a little voice from within began to cast doubt upon his hopes.

'Maybe Dumbledore will send Dung….' the voice suggested '…Or Arthur…Or _Snape_….'

Sirius abruptly awakened from his dreams of companionship.

'No-Not Snape!' he yelled loudly, almost rousing Kreacher. He stared around the room as though he had just awoken from a terrible nightmare, half expecting to see Severus Snape sneering at him from the depths of the shadows.

 Clambering to his feet, Sirius began to hide the empty bottles in any spare space he could find, using whatever he could lay his hands on as a balance. His head felt extremely light and he struggled to hold it upright, his lips felt completely numb and if he were to believe his eyes the whole room was covered in yellow and pink spots. He had almost wrapped his hands around the pantry's doorknob when suddenly his legs buckled beneath him and he crashed to the floor.

'Shit!'

He laid spread eagled on the floor for a few moments, torn between whether he should continue hording his Firewhisky or just give up and fall asleep on the cold, hard tiles. He was very close to the latter when there was a loud crash somewhere in the house above.

'Oh my God, I've caused an earthquake,' Sirius panicked in his giddiness. 'I fell and caused an earthquake…I hope Harry's ok…I hope Hogwarts hasn't collapsed….'

'Collapsed?' A familiar voice said from within the shadows.

Remus Lupin came forward into the candlelight and knelt down at his friend's side.

'Why do you think Hogwarts has collapsed Padfoot? Why are you on the floor?'

Remus's worn, tired face looked down upon his friend, painted with a look of mild concern. 

Sirius glanced vaguely up at Remus with dizzy eyes. 

Lupin's expression of concern turned quickly to one of extreme annoyance.

'For the same reason you were talking to yourself,' he concluded. 'You're drunk again.'

Sirius suddenly sat bolt upright. 'I am not!' he said defiantly, although with crossed eyes. 'I just fell.'

'Then maybe you could explain why you are rocking back and forth?' said Remus.

Sirius stuck out his bottom lip like a naughty child who had just been caught with his fingers in the biscuit tin.

'It's not my fault!' he wailed foolishly. 'Got nothing else to do. You wouldn't understand!'

Remus sighed but Sirius could see the suppressed smile behind his aggravation. 

Behind the fearless exterior Lupin knew that a softer centre lay beneath Sirius' silver armour. There was an insecure, unhappy man inside that others rarely got to see. Nobody could live in solitude forever and Sirius had already been denied human company for too long. Only a man without a heart could hold Sirius' cards without doubting the integrity of the dealer. Sirius had simply become disillusioned life and doubtful of those who claimed to be acting in his best interests. Who could blame him?

Remus pulled his friend to his feet and settled him into a chair by the table.

Sirius looked awful.

His skin was a terrible shade of white when contrasted with his red, bloodshot eyes. His handsome face was covered in a mat of black stubble; he appeared to have gone without food for some time.

'What wouldn't I understand?' Remus asked finally, with a bitter note in his voice. 'What it is like to be lonely? What it is like to be feared…despised? Wake up Padfoot-I'm a werewolf!'

Sirius looked taken aback and considered this point for a moment before replying quietly, 'Yes, but you're free aren't you. You may be many things to many people but you still have your freedom.'

Remus nodded wearily. He had clearly spent the last month feeling just as lonely and solemn as Sirius. His pale eyes were sunken and rimmed with dark circles. The outside world was no less dark than the confines of Grimmauld Place. The Order was always a welcome escape, a means of channelling his energy-but it just wasn't the same without his oldest friend there.

'Why does it have to be like this Moony? 'Sirius asked pitifully, as if reading his friend's thoughts. 'At least the last time we were together…me, you….James. Last time the Order was something to be proud of.'

Remus rested his cheek in his palm and stifled a yawn.' It still is,' argued absently, without conviction.

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows and growled, 'Yeah, if you're actually a part of it.'

He swallowed loudly regarding Remus with a degree of hidden resentment. He was not sure that he wanted to continue this conversation, but after months of being locked up, not only in Grimmauld Place but inside his own head, he could not keep silent any longer. He had to release the fears that kept him awake at night.

Casting a bitter eye over the prison-like room, he began to speak again with obvious discomfort.

'I know that the Order was never meant to be a social gathering but I cherished every minute I spent working for it.'

The understanding smile Remus bore rid him of his inhibitions.

'I hated everything about this place,' Sirius said softly, a gesturing hand indicating to the building around them. 'My father, Regulus….that evil bat out there. I detested Kreacher, still do. Every wall, every staircase, every room…I couldn't wait to get away from it all. Those sick twists were never my family, just people I happened to share a house with. When I came to Hogwarts…when we first met, I felt like I'd found my real brothers- the Marauders. For the first time in my life I had people to turn to, people who made me feel wanted, needed.'

Remus reached out and placed his hand lightly on Sirius' shoulder.

'That's all gone now,' Sirius concluded bitterly. 'James is gone, Peter…well, Peter will soon be wishing he was gone too. I'm worse than useless, more of a risk than anything else.'

Remus frowned slightly as his friend gave a hollow laugh. 

'Me and James, we used to be first choice for everything in the old days. If ever there was a duel to be fought or a dangerous mission, we weren't far behind. Now I'm no more than a glorified cleaner.'

Remus seemed deep in thought as Padfoot ended his pitiful speech. Sirius sensed that he had caught his friend off guard. It was not like him to speak so freely about his emotions, his tough exterior had suddenly crumbled. He realised that had he been sober he would never have allowed these thoughts to cross his lips, but now that all was out in the open, his burden seemed eternally lighter.

'They were great days,' Remus confirmed finally. 'I don't deny that you have been dealt an unfair lot, Padfoot, no one could…but you cannot change what is past. You know that better than anyone. I realise that life is not comfortable for you at the moment but you'll feel better in the morning after a good night's sleep…once that Firewhisky has worn off you'll feel a lot happier.'

Sirius nodded, Remus was partially right-but not fully. His drunkenness had succeeded only in making his pain more prominent. But sobriety would not rid the seed that had already been planted, the solitude that never ceased to be real.

Suddenly, Remus smiled widely and gave a throaty chuckle. 'I remember the day we first formed the Order,' he said.

'Me too,' said Sirius reminiscently.

'Somehow, I knew from the moment we signed those papers that we were saved. Something about Dumbledore that day told me, restored every ounce of faith that I'd lost during Voldemort's reign. After all, Dumbledore had never given us false hope before.'

Sirius nodded, 'That one meeting seemed to signal the beginning of the end. I don't think we ever realised the losses we'd have to suffer before that ending came. It didn't occur to us that part of our number were signing away their lives.'

Remus rubbed his forehead in thought, 'No we didn't take the risks as seriously as we should have at first. They became apparent after a while though, and we all vowed to carry on. I think we began to realise then what we know for certain this time around-and that is that some things are worth dying for.'

Sirius considered this for a moment and suddenly began to feel very tired. He stretched and swung back on his chair, allowing it to stand freely on two legs. He yawned widely and then grinned.

 'God I'm tired. I think you were right, that Firewhisky's made me come over all sentimental Moony.'

Remus smiled cheekily, 'Best stick to that flowery wine from now on Padfoot. You can't hold your drink like you used to.' 

Sirius scowled. Picking up a discarded bottle top, he threw it at his friend who ducked just in time.

'So,' he said. 'Can you hurry up and give me the 'Umbridge Lecture' because I'm ready to go to bed.'

Lupin raised his eyebrows and asked, 'What's the point? You never listen anyway. It's getting late, I think I'll stay over and head off to Hogwarts in the morning.'

Sirius shrugged and left his friend in the kitchen as he made his own way up to bed

_     ~*~                                                    ~*~                                                                 ~*~_

The moment his head came to rest upon the threadbare pillow beneath it, Sirius fell fast asleep. For hours he slept dreamlessly, so soundly that he did not notice the raging thunderstorm outside. It was only as the sun began to rise that he found himself in animated slumber. For several seconds dark, meaningless colours swirled within his mind and then slowly settled in portrayal of a recognisable scene. 

A dark room, a table surrounded by chairs, a candelabra and a narrow stone staircase, all born from the coloured whirlpool.

Sirius at once recognised this room. He knew immediately that this was no ordinary dream, but a memory. 

He had been seated at that round, polished table more times than he cared to remember. He had descended those stone steps; he could recall to whom each of those spindle-legged chairs belonged. 

This was the meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix; a splendid underground chamber that was a far cry from his own bleak kitchen. 

The room was not empty of life. 

He could see himself sitting at the table, a roll of parchment in hand.

This, he realised, was his own recollection of the Orders first meeting…

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**A/N I'll leave it there because I didn't want to make the intro too long. Sirius's memories of the forming of the Order will come in the next chapter, which will mainly consist of flashbacks within his dream and during his discussions with Remus. Hope you enjoyed this, if you did please review and call back next time! **


	2. Dumbledore's Double

**Baptism of the  ****Phoenix******

_Chapter 2: Dumbledore's Double_

Sirius at once recognised this room. He knew immediately that this was no ordinary dream, but a memory. 

He had been seated at that round, polished table more times than he cared to remember. He had descended those stone steps; he could recall to whom each of those spindle-legged chairs belonged. 

This was the meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix; a splendid underground chamber that was a far cry from his own bleak kitchen. 

The room was not empty of life. 

He could see himself sitting at the table, a roll of parchment in hand.

This, he realised, was his own recollection of the Orders first meeting…

_It was a beautiful summer night. The sun had almost set, but its orange rays still illuminated the pink and azure sky. A slight breeze swept over the cliff tops causing the sea below to ripple in the glittering light. _

_Sirius trekked along the rocky cliff-path, barely noticing the beautiful scene around him, he was lost in concentration. Eyes fixed upon the ground beneath him, he counted each footstep meticulously. _

_……Three hundred and forty six…..Three hundred and forty seven….._

_It must be around here somewhere…_

_He could still see the faint outline of Hogwarts Castle far off in the distance, and in the opposite direction he could just make out the outskirts of Hogsmeade. _

_…Yes definitely half-way between the two, just as he remembered…_

_Dropping to his knees he began to search the stone-covered path for some sign that he was in the right place. Carefully he turned over each rock; each tiny, little pebble until he found what he had been looking for. There shining upon the ground, half obscured by gravel and grit, lay a small, phoenix feather made from pure gold. _

_Sirius pulled a tattered slip of parchment from his robes and smoothed it upon the ground before uttering the spell that would hopefully gain him entrance to the secret cabin below._

_What the words were he could no longer remember. Dumbledore had said that would happen. Once uttered the spell would die and would never be recalled or spoken again. _

_Sirius did not have time to wonder whether Dumbledore's Memory Charm had worked or not. As soon as the password's final syllable had passed his lips a blinding streak of golden light shot up from the ground, enveloping him in its glimmering rays. It was as though the sun had just burst through the ground below. _

_Whether the ground had actually swallowed him up, or whether he had simply Apparated to another place, Sirius did not know. The bright, hot light prevented him from seeing anything around him until it finally died and he found himself sitting in what appeared to be someone's dining room._

_The room was strangely ornate for a secret underground hide-away. The furniture was delicate and expensive looking, the walls were panelled and covered in paintings. _

_~What was this room used for?~_

_~Who owned this strange cabin?~_

_Sitting down at the table Sirius began to re-read Dumbledore's cryptic letter. The paper was slightly charred on the spot on which Sirius had laid the golden phoenix but the words remained untouched._

_~ Sirius~_

_I must keep this note brief, I hope it will be of meaning to you. You will remember, I trust, the location of the Horder's Cave you happened upon in your youth. To gain entrance you must find a symbol of significance, of which I cannot detail, and utter the spell we once spoke of. I will meet you inside the cave at sundown._

_~Albus~_

_Sirius had often heard of the legend of the Horder's Cave, a mythical underground den built by smugglers in the sixteenth century. During his second year at Hogwarts he had tried to find the location of the cave on many occasions, but had given up in favour of searching for the Chamber of Secrets, a much more exciting prospect. It was only in his final year that he stumbled upon the cave's entranceway, by this time Voldemort was strong and the discovery of an old cave was the least of Dumbledore's worries. The Headmaster confirmed himself to be Secret Keeper to the Horder's Cave, but assured Sirius that it was nothing more than an empty cavity in the ground used for storing personal items. _

_Looking around the room Sirius felt rather disheartened, Dumbledore had been telling the truth. There really was nothing interesting about this old room, just a few sticks of furniture and an assortment of gaudy pictures. _

_But why did Dumbledore want to meet here? _

_Sirius felt rather hopeful that Dumbledore might have formulated some sort of plan to rise against the Dark Lord, but the Head's reluctance to act in the past suggested that this was merely going to be another 'Keep yourself out of danger' lecture._

_Preparing himself for yet another tongue lashing from his old friend, Sirius began to pace the room, rehearsing his retaliation in his head._

_…'I was not probing Lucius Malfoy about his involvement with the Death Eaters, I was merely making conversation at Sunday lunch'…. _

_~Bloody Malfoy, bleating to the Minister, it's not a crime to take an interest in your cousin-in-law's hobbies…even if they do involve muggle torture~_

_'Oh do behave! You'll wear a hole in my bloody flooring!'_

_Sirius stopped pacing and spun around to see who had spoken. _

_He had been so lost in thought that he had not noticed the stranger enter the room through what appeared to be a door disguised as a wall panel._

_'What? Who…?'_

_'Who am I, dear boy? Who are you?' _

_The stranger approached Sirius with caution, an inquisitive glint in his bright blue eyes._

_Sirius was taken aback by the sudden apparition of the stranger. Something about the man seemed vaguely familiar, although Sirius was sure that he had never met him before. He was a tall, thin man with short, pale hair and a pointed beard that came almost to his waist. He had an ivory complexion and a strangely crooked nose, his eyes shone brightly from behind golden spectacles._

_Surveying the man with apprehension Sirius replied, 'I was asked to come here by Albus Dumbledore.'_

_'Oh Albie,' the man sighed as he waved his hand dismissively. 'Never comes to call unless he wants something that one. I didn't ask why you were here though did I?' The stranger said firmly although his voice was rather high pitched. 'The question was who are you?'_

_'Sirius,' Sirius replied, 'Sirius Black.'_

_'Well, Sirius Sirius Black, my name is Aberforth Dumbledore; I only use my first name once.'_

_The man shook Sirius' hand although Sirius barely responded…_

_~Dumbledore?~_

_Aberforth__ evidently read his new acquaintance's puzzled expression._

_'Darling old Albus hasn't mentioned me I gather, hardly surprising.'_

_Sirius sat down, joined by Aberforth who rearranged his robes and gently took his seat with great elegance. After airily sighing and straightening his cloak the younger Dumbledore quickly abandoned his nonchalant façade and pointedly fixed his eyes upon Sirius's._

_'I'm his brother you know,' his voice came almost nastily, 'The black sheep, the forgotten sibling…Of course I am Albus's only remaining sibling, my fault I must admit. But then, the other two were always frightful bores…and my potions always were a hazard….' _

_Aberforth__ seemed to drift off into his own little world of thought for a moment or two before asking, 'So you're part of his little 'Save The World Campaign' are you?'_

_Sirius, whose mind was still lingering on the 'my potions always were a hazard' revelation, replied 'Huh?'_

_'Oh you know,' Aberforth rolled his eyes dramatically, 'the "Voldemort Killing Machine". Poor old Tom, still, if the rest of them look as drippy as you I don't think he'll have much to worry about.'_

_Deciding that Aberforth Dumbledore was the kind of man that really ought to be locked in an underground cave for the safety of the general public, Sirius stood up to leave._

_'I don't know what is going on here, who Tom is, or what the hell you are talking about,' he said testily, 'Perhaps I'll call back later, I've got important things to do at home.'_

_Aberforth__ seemed highly amused by Sirius's rudeness, but replied evenly, 'Albus will not be pleased if you miss this meeting, you may as well wait for the others to arrive.'_

_'Others?'___

_Aberforth__ gave an annoyingly high pitched giggle and looked at Sirius scathingly, _

_'You don't think my brother would form an army with just one dim-witted soldier do you? No, I assure you, your fellow numbskulls will be along shortly.'_

_Before Sirius could retaliate a bright flash of golden light erupted in the corner of the room and Albus Dumbledore appeared as if from nowhere and descended the stone staircase._

_'I see you have met my brother,' the older Dumbledore mused, 'Step this way Sirius.'_

_Albus Dumbledore crossed the room without further comment and walked through a doorway which lead into what appeared to be a living room._

_The room was much larger than the other and was filled with various mismatched chairs and settees, all of which were arranged to face an empty space in the middle of the floor. _

_Dumbledore stood in the centre of the room and gestured that Sirius should sit down before he began to speak. _

_'I understand that you may be slightly confused as to why I have never mentioned the existence of my younger brother.'_

_Sirius thought for a second, recalling the peculiar man in the adjoining room and vaguely declared, 'No, no I totally understand.'_

_Dumbledore smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders, 'I thought you might. I would rather not speak about Aberforth's seclusion however; I would prefer discuss the meaning of your visit.'_

_Sirius was sure that he would much rather find out about Dumbledore's abstract younger brother but he nodded politely anyway._

_'This,' Dumbledore began, 'is the new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.'_

_~Order of the Phoenix?~_

_Sirius opened his mouth to voice his confusion but Dumbledore held up a silencing palm._

_'It is time Sirius,' he said simply. 'Time to take action.'_

_~Action? Against Voldemort? But he said we couldn't. He said the Ministry could deal with it…Why the sudden change?~_

_'I am going to do what I should have done years ago. I am going to form an army here tonight. We are going to fight against Voldemort, Sirius.'_

_'What?' Sirius asked stupidly as he rubbed his eyes, seriously considering that he could be dreaming. _

_Somewhere beyond the panelled room a loud crashing sound could be heard, followed by the sarcastic squeals of Aberforth Dumbledore ('Oh more guests, it must be my birthday! Really there is no need to throw yourselves down the stairs for my benefit')_

_Frowning, the older Dumbledore scratched his beard and said quietly, 'More early arrivals.'_

_Fixing his gaze upon Sirius, Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, pure anxiety shone vividly from behind his half moon spectacles. 'It is time, it seems, to put my plan into action. It is time to do what I should have done long ago.'_

_Sirius felt rather put-out by the new arrivals, he had so much to ask Dumbledore but it seemed his time alone with him had just run out._

_'Why now?' he blurted out hurriedly, determined to have his questions answered._

_Shaking his head, Dumbledore replied, 'I will explain all in front of the others Sirius, please be patient.'_

_'Who are the others?' Sirius went on, not to be deterred._

_'Friends, or so I like to think.'__ Dumbledore smiled at Sirius and winked. 'But failing that, some of the finest witches and wizards alive today, all of whom have my complete trust. Now if you don't mind, we have work to do.'_

_Dumbledore crossed the room with long, confident strides and disappeared through the doorway, back into the dining room._

_Sirius surveyed his old Headmaster with a great degree of pride. _

_Finally Dumbledore had granted him the power he had long craved. _

_This was the moment he had long awaited_

_The moment that signified the end of Lord Voldemort.___

Finally, chapter two is up and running! So, just picking up with Sirius's dream this chapter. I've not gone too in-depth with Sirius's thoughts etc in this chapter, as it is a dream sequence but next chapter is going to be based around a conversation he has with Remus so that will hopefully be a bit more interesting (but don't bank on it!) Thanks for reading and big thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Please come back to find out what happened in the Orders first meeting…and what happened to Aberforth Dumbledore.


	3. The Baptism of the Phoenix

**Disclaimer: I know it's a bit late in the day, but before I forget completely-I do not own Harry Potter or any Harry Potter type stuff! Nothing is mine- I am just a poor child!**

_Chapter 3: The Baptism of the __Phoenix__ – Alice, Frank and the Old Crowd_

Sirius awoke with a start. His bedclothes clung to his hot, sticky skin and his head pounded painfully.

_What was going on_?

Glancing out of the window he realised that it was mid-day; the weak autumn sun had fully risen in the sky. 

Surely he hadn't been asleep?

He couldn't remember going to bed. The last thing he could recall was talking to Dumbledore. They were discussing the Order of the Phoenix in Aberforth's house.

Aberforth?

_It must have been a dream_.

It had seemed so _real_. Dumbledore's voice, Aberforth's house-everything had been so lifelike. 

Just as he remembered it.

But Sirius couldn't have seen Dumbledore last night, the Headmaster was busy at Hogwarts, and Aberforth, well, he hadn't spoken to a soul for longer than Sirius cared to remember.

Pulling himself out of bed, Sirius wondered whether Remus was still in the house. There certainly wasn't any sound coming from downstairs, perhaps he had gone to do 'Order things'.

Sirius screwed up his face. 

'_Order things.'_

Everybody was busy with the Order these days, too busy to spare a second thought for him. Slumping back down upon his bed, Sirius pulled the covers up around his head, reminding himself that there was no real reason for him to get up, it wasn't as if there was anything for him to do downstairs.

He lay there for several minutes, uncomfortably hot, and then decided he had better rouse himself, if only to prevent himself from drifting back into that terrible dream. He dragged himself down to the kitchen to find that Remus had left him a note.

~Gone to Hogwarts, Order business with Snape. Should be back in time for lunch

Moony~

Lunch?

Sirius barely had a second to make sense of the note. He had just finished reading it when Remus entered the kitchen, his arms full of groceries.

'Thought I'd get some supplies on my way back' Remus chirped distractedly as he began to unpack his shopping. 'That meeting with Snape was awful, he certainly doesn't believe in letting sleeping dogs lie.'

Sirius became uncomfortably aware that he was still in his nightclothes, although Remus seemed not to have noticed as he busied himself around the kitchen.

'No, I suppose,' Sirius mumbled as he carefully made his way toward the kitchen door. 'I've just got to go upstairs for, erm, something.'

After last night's display he wasn't keen to let Remus know that he had spent half of the day lying in bed. His old friend had a tendency to worry unnecessarily.

'Ok,' Remus chattered as he sorted through the various half-eaten left-overs and mouldy vegetables that had taken up permanent residence in Sirius' pantry.

'Have you eaten?' Remus asked, turning to face his friend for the first time since he had entered the room. An immediate expression of displeasure appeared upon his tired face.

'Oh, Padfoot! You haven't just woken up have you?'

'There's no need to make a fuss!' Sirius snapped 'I had a lot to drink last night; I needed a lie in to recover.'

Remus frowned, 'Well don't make a habit of it; it's not good for you.'

Sirius stomped huffily up to his bedroom to change.

He couldn't help but feel slightly resentful of Remus's presence. He really didn't feel up to having company today. The strange dream still weighed heavily on his mind, like a relentless spirit floating through his veins. He could still hear Aberforth Dumbledore twittering away in the back of his mind. He could remember every word of their bizarre conversation.

Once, long ago, such memories had made him smile. They were no longer happy memories, but a constant reminder of what he had been-and what he had now become; a useless fugitive, trapped inside his father's house, despised by all of wizardkind.

These were memories he could do without, yet at the same time he knew that they were all he had left-of the Order, of James and even of himself.

Remus had made lunch and seemed to have reverted back to his chirpy mood when Sirius arrived back in the kitchen. He was full of tales of the Order's latest missions, not that Sirius was actually listening-a fact they were both well aware of. 

Still, the memory of the dream lingered in Sirius' mind, finally forcing him to ask the question, 'Do you still remember the Order's first meeting?'

'Of course I do,' Remus replied, 'I could hardly forget it.'

Sirius swung carelessly back onto the hind legs of his chair, hoping that he appeared casual, as though his questioning bore no real interest.

'Me too,' he said lazily, '…well sort of.'

Remus smiled , 'I didn't really know any of the other members before the Order formed. I expect you did, being of a purely wizarding family.'

'Yeah,' Sirius replied. 'Most of them. Not that they were family friends or anything, my parents being who they were.'

Remus nodded. 

Of course, a pure-blood, Slytherin family would not have much to do with the likes of Dumbledore and the Longbottoms.

'I hadn't met Benjy before,' Sirius continued, or Dorcas Meadows, but the rest I knew-mainly because they were sworn enemies of my mother.'

'I remember meeting Aberforth that first day,' Remus smiled, 'you don't easily forget meeting a character like Aberforth….'

_The dining room quickly filled with an array of witches and wizards, some young, some even older than Dumbledore. Each person seated themselves around the table without fuss and in complete silence._

_Sirius scanned the sea of faces as he settled himself in a chair next to James._

_He recognised the Longbottoms instantly, Frank and Alice were good people; honest and hard-working with hearts of gold. They had married at a very young age but looked the picture of happiness as they sat there together, hands interlocked upon the table top. Gideon and Fabian Prewett were older than the Marauders but were nothing short of legendary when it came to Quidditch. Their success on the Gryffindor team had earned them countless trophies. _

_All in all, this looked like a pretty sound group of wizards, Sirius decided, all well-known within the community and all personal friends of Albus Dumbledore. If this was the army that Dumbledore had selected, Sirius could not fault his choices._

_Once the group were all settled Dumbledore stood before them. He wore an expression of calm although his fidgeting hands suggested he may have been slightly nervous._

_'My friends, I thank you for responding to my invitation. I apologise if my correspondence left any of you confused, but secrecy, as you will find, is vital.'_

_Dumbledore's eyes glittered, radiating an intense shade of electric blue as he spoke with great passion._

_'It is time for us to partake in the work we ought to have begun long ago. Tonight alone seven Aurors have lost their lives. Seven fathers have lost their sons, seven wives have lost their husbands; and that is pushing aside the countless civilians who have also found this night to be their last.'_

_Glancing around the table Sirius noticed that most of his companions were, if not audibly gasping, then in a state of shock. Many of the group held their hands up to their open mouths, Emmeline Vance shed a tear._

_'The Ministry is weak, for every member it loses another turns to the Dark Arts. For every Auror that dies another flees in terror.'_

_Dumbledore shook his head sadly, clearly distressed by his own words._

_An Australian wizard, who introduced himself as Benjy Fenwick, got to his feet. He was a tall young man with round blue eyes and a crop of dark blonde hair. There was a note of urgency in his voice when he addressed Dumbledore._

_'Then do something. Let us do something. Dumbledore, you are the most powerful wizard alive... You defeated Grindelwald for Merlin's sake. If anyone can defeat You-Know-Who, it's you.'_

_Dumbledore's cheeks flushed a bright shade of scarlet._

_'It is true, I have been reluctant to act in the past. Selfish, I admit. I have been reluctant to form the army you have all requested for so long because I have been unwilling to lead the friends I cherish into a battle that will certainly claim at least one of their lives. I couldn't face the responsibility.'_

_A slight smile played on the edge of Dumbledore's lips._

_'But, on further contemplation, I am ashamed to say, I have misjudged you all. I have not given you the credit you deserve. Perhaps my previous successes in battle have gone to my head, because as I look around this room I see more courage and talent in each of you than Voldemort could ever posses. You are all strong individuals, capable of making your own choices in life. I can not take credit for you any more than I can take responsibility for you.'_

_There was a moments silence in the room before Lily asked, 'Does this mean that you are now willing to lead us in to battle?'_

_Dumbledore nodded._

_~At last~_

_The atmosphere in the room electrified. A low buzzing of mutual excitement and anticipation reverberated between the members of the group. _

_Sirius took a moment to take in the reaction of the others._

_Benjy__ and a young, plain looking witch, who turned out to be Dorcas Meadows, chatted excitedly as Frank and __Alice__ hugged each other tearfully. Emmeline began to sob loudly (which Sirius took to be 'happy tears') and Remus punched the air in triumph. Everyone seemed to be ecstatic, everyone but Aberforth who looked as though he was going to be sick, whilst eyeing his brother with great distaste._

_'This is it Padfoot, this is it!' James cried as he wrapped his arms around his best friend._

_'We're going to do it Prongs, we're going to win this.'_

_'Who gets to curse You-Know-Who when we catch him, you or me?_

_'Both together Prongs, on the count of three!'___

_'Quiet!' Dumbledore suddenly bellowed and the group was silent once again._

_'As it seems we have no objections, I think it is now time to officially form The Order of the __Phoenix__.'_

_James sniggered loudly, 'The what?'_

_'Well, we will be needing a name.' Dumbledore smiled coyly. 'And it seems that the muggles have already taken 'MI5' and 'Charlie's Angels', my two personal favourites.'_

_'The Order of the __Phoenix__ it is then,' Remus agreed._

_Dumbledore conjured a piece of parchment that already bore the signatures of the Order's new members._

_'That's forgery!' James declared in mock disgust._

_Sirius asked, 'Shouldn't we have actually signed that ourselves?'_

_'Come Sirius,' Dumbledore smiled, 'this is the Order of the __Phoenix__, not a bank. This parchment simply records the promise each of you have made here today. Your name would not appear upon it if there was any doubt over your sincerity.'_

_Sirius nodded in understanding._

_'Of course, it also helps me to remember you names,' Dumbledore joked, 'My memory is not what it used to be….and it seems I have forgotten to bring drawing pins…oh well.'_

_Dumbledore rolled up the parchment and put it into his pocket._

_'Now,' the Hogwarts headmaster continued with a firm note in his voice. 'I am afraid I must be serious with you all for a moment. I do not want any of you to leave this room harbouring any illusions of heroic glory. All I ask is that you work together, always. You're main objective is not to defeat Voldemort, but to protect each other, and protect yourselves.'_

_The group nodded collectively, silently listening to Dumbledore's speech._

_' I__ would like you all to return here upon the next sun-set. Then I shall go into the details of our quest. Until then I would like you all to think long and hard about what you may be asked to do. I do not want anyone walking into the Order blindly; I will not judge those who may wish to back out.'_

_Sirius felt his mind begin to wander. There was no way in the world he would back out. _

_'There really is nothing else for me to say,' Dumbledore stated. 'My brother has kindly allowed us to use his home as Order Headquarters. Our meetings will be held here, I will make entry slightly easier for you, but have no fear, this house is completely safe-we will not be found here.'_

_Alice Longbottom politely raised her hand and waited for Dumbledore to signal for her to speak. When she did she cocked her head to one side and smiled sweetly with a charming child-like quality. 'How will we know when the meetings are to be held?'_

_'That is where the __Phoenix__ comes in,' Dumbledore said cryptically. 'Your sign will be a single, golden phoenix feather; that will be your summons.'_

_It seemed that that was the end of the great meeting, the event they had all been waiting for. Somehow Sirius had expected something grander, Dumbledore had never indulged in simplicity; but as the others stood to leave he realised that there was going to be no drama, no over-the-top gesture, and no mind-blowing revelation._

_Well it had seemed that way-until Alastor Moody abruptly entered the room looking like a bomb on the point of explosion._

_'I had given up on you Alastor,' said Dumbledore, who had evidently been expecting the new arrival._

_Moody simply grunted and crossed the room at great speed. He ushered Dumbledore into the neighbouring room where they stayed for several minutes._

_The Order members remained standing around the table in total silence, a few looked worried, and others raised their eyebrows in anticipation._

_~What was going on? ~_

_Moody and Dumbledore were obviously talking in hushed voices as not a sound travelled through the sturdy stone walls. _

_'What do you think is happening?' Remus whispered to his friends._

_Lily shrugged her shoulders but James seemed rather excited._

_'Something's about to kick off, I can feel it.'_

_'Yeah,' Sirius agreed. 'Moody's an Auror, and a highly respected one at that. If You-Know-Who is up to something you can guarantee that Moody will be the first to know.'_

_Peter nodded, his watery eyes widening 'Well, if Moody has found out anything he'll have to tell us right? We're in the Order of the __Phoenix__ now-it's our job to put a stop to the Death Eaters evil plans.'_

_Sirius sniggered, 'I wouldn't start dancing around in your cape and underpants yet Wormtail, the Batmobile is out of petrol.'_

_James laughed loudly, 'I told you not to lend him those 'comic' things Lily, you've over-stimulated his brain.'_

_Peter looked slightly embarrassed but no one seemed to notice-Dumbledore and Moody had just re-entered the room._

_The Hogwarts Headmaster looked rather pale yet composed. He surveyed the gathering and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. Moody appeared livid, his beetle black eyes narrowed angrily as he watched the headmaster with such care it seemed he was reading his mind._

_Finally Dumbledore spoke without explanation._

_'I would be most appreciative if Misters Potter, Black, Fenwick and Longbottom would accompany me downstairs-yes, I'd like you to come too __Alice__. The rest of you are free to leave, I will explain all at sundown tomorrow-please be punctual.'_

_With that Dumbledore swept back into the neighbouring room and could be heard moving rapidly down a wooden staircase. _

_Sirius and James remained rooted to their seats as those who were asked to leave departed silently. _

_What was happening?_

_Why had they been asked to stay?_

_Whatever the reason the outcome was clear. _

_The Order of the __Phoenix__ was about to embark on its first mission. ._

**A/N Thanks for coming to read chapter 3! Apologies if that chapter seemed a little vague, there was loads more stuff that could have gone into it but I didn't want to make it over-long. I'll expand upon it next chapter and of course there will be more on that first mission. **

**As for replies:**

**_Black Rose 89: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, you sound like you're really getting into it! I know it's a bit depressing, but stick with it-I'm sure Sirius will start recalling happier times soon (unfortunately it will get morbid before it perks up) Glad you like Aberforth, I'm growing quite fond of him too!_**

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**_Polkat_****_: You again! Ok, firstly, Dumbledore was Secret Keeper for HQ back when Sirius was at school ( a whole six months ago!), I didn't want to get bogged down with boring spell details but we can assume that he altered the fidelius when he decided to use the cave as a meeting place…and wasn't Dumbledore Secret Keeper for Grimmauld Place too? As for the 'Why isn't Remus gayer' bit-I think you know the answer! There will be no Slash here young lady! No it's not a problem that Moody only meets Aberforth once (ooohhh, yeah-there is a touch of gayness isn't there?-look out for next chapter!) The pensieve-ish dream bit was just a bit of drunkenness that lead nicely into the flash back bits-it won't appear again (Nutcase 'I like talking to myself' Sirius will appear soon)_**

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**_PrincessSkywalkerOrgana_****_: Thanks for reading-Aberforth is a gem isn't he? (He'll be soooo much worse next chapter-unfortunately he won't be sticking around for long!) _**

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**_Oceanjewel_****_: Glad you're liking! Thanks for reviewing-hope you're still reading and like this chapter too!_**

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**_Ok….I'm gonna get on with uploading now!_**


	4. Saving the Stone

_Chapter 4: Saving the Stone_

_Silently, Sirius followed Dumbledore down a set of grey stone steps, with James and the others following closely behind him. _

_They were in complete darkness but for the candlelight that shone above them as they descended into the depths of the mysterious, underground cabin. The staircase spiralled, twisting sharply so that Dumbledore was rarely in sight. Sirius could just hear the whisper of James' heavy breath above the rapid beat of his own heart. _

_When the group finally caught up with its leader, they found themselves in a large, unlit room. Dumbledore had already seated himself upon a large tattered sofa which lay in the centre of the room. Several bookshelves lined the wall opposite the staircase and an array of large, grotesque statues littered the floor. _

_Moody withdrew his wand. A shot of golden sparks shot from the end, igniting a large log-fireplace and several candlesticks. He sat down by Dumbledore's side and indicated that the rest of the group should also seat themselves. Using their wands, the new recruits each summoned a chair and formed a circle. _

_The other Order members were clearly as unnerved as Sirius, whose heart had not stopped racing since Moody's abrupt entrance. Alice perched nervously on the edge of her chair, Benjy Fenwick's bright blue eyes widened as he anticipated some form of address. James cast a sideways glance at his best friend. It was hard to tell whether he was nervous or excited, he simply raised his eyebrows and ruffled his hair, as if almost bored with the suspense. Sirius felt he could not feign indifference, the hairs on the back of his neck pricked and his hands shook. He looked into Dumbledore's twinkling eyes, willing him to speak._

_But he didn't._

_The Headmaster simply surveyed the group with interest, his long, bony fingers resting on his knees as if, he too, were waiting for something to happen._

_Sirius began to feel nervous. _

_Why wasn't anyone speaking? _

_What was going on? _

_He pushed a stray lock of long, black hair from his eyes, his face grew uncomfortably hot. His eyes flickered from Benjy, who looked dangerously near bursting, to James who was now resting his head on his palm, staring disinterestedly at Aberforth's collection of books. It was only when Sirius looked at Moody that the reason for such a lengthy silence became apparent. _

_The usually gruff Auror was glaring red-faced at the floor, the back of his head turned towards Aberforth. Dumbledore, who had also spotted the problem, was looking at both Moody and his brother with clear amusement. _

_Aberforth__ Dumbledore was beaming at Moody as though he had never seen a human being before in his life. Every now and then he would wink in the Mad-Eye's direction or raise his eyebrows suggestively. Moody was clearly pretending not to have noticed but as the silence went on, the others in the room quickly became aware of his embarrassment._

_'Perhaps,' Dumbledore said quietly, 'You would like to give the briefing Alastor, as it is your information that has brought the group here.'_

_'Right,' Moody began, his voice was hoarse, although his cheeks were definitely pink. 'This is what we've got men….and women, sorry Alice. You may, or may not, be aware of the likes of Nicholas Flamel and his lady wife. Along with Dumbledore here, he created the Philosopher's Stone, the only one in existence, guaranteed to provide its owner with ceaseless wealth and immortality.'_

_'Yeah, we all know about that,' James confirmed, finally paying attention to the rest of the group. 'Flamel's famous for his work as an Alchemist.'_

_Moody nodded, 'Yeah. Well, he's been keeping the Stone in a safe at his place but, since You-Know-Who came to power, he's been employing a group of Aurors to guard it. Trouble is that one of the Aurors is starting to look a bit dodgy. I'm not convinced that his loyalty lies with us, I know for a fact that he's friendly with the likes of Rabastan Lestrange'_

_'Do you think the Lestranges are Death Eaters?' __Alice__ asked politely._

_'Yes I think so,' Moody replied._

_'I know so,' Sirius added darkly. _

_Moody raised his eyebrows, 'You know them?'_

_Sirius slouched in his chair uncomfortably, 'Sort of.'_

_Although Dumbledore was already well aware of Sirius's parentage, Sirius did not think it wise to announce his relation to the Lestrange's to the rest of the Order; he didn't want to lose their trust._

_'Ever heard them speak of a Heraticus Dolohov?'_

_Sirius nodded, his heart felt suddenly very heavy. His first day in the Order and, already, the Black family name was getting him into a sticky situation. _

_'He's a Pureblood Activist,' Sirius explained. 'He originally joined the Ministry to train as an Unspeakable but it didn't work out, so he became an Auror, with a lot of help from Lucius Malfoy Senior.'_

_'Yeah', Moody growled, 'Malfoy groomed him alright, placed him at the centre of things. If he is a spy, we're in real trouble'_

_'What do we do?' Benjy asked eagerly. 'We could try and discredit Dolohov, but that could take months and we'd need solid proof that he is a spy.'_

_Moody growled softly, 'Even if we tried it wouldn't work; not with old man Malfoy pulling the Minister's strings. Nah, no chance of that. We need to move the Stone.'_

_'How are we supposed to do that?' Frank Longbottom cried. 'Where would we move it to?'_

_'Gringotts', Dumbledore replied. 'I have arranged for the Stone to be enclosed in a high security vault. Storing the Stone is not the problem. Transporting it, unfortunately, could prove dangerous. If Voldemort realises that the Stone has been moved, which is highly likely, you will doubtlessly be ambushed.'_

_Alice gasped loudly, prompting Moody to ask, 'Are you all willing to take this job on? If any of you have doubts for Merlin's sake say so now. I can't lead an operation if my guards are gonna get the wobblies half way to Gringotts. Are you in or out?'_

_Moody glanced around the circle; his wide eyes looked almost menacing. A positive murmur ran around the circle, indicating that all members were willing to take part._

_It suddenly occurred to Sirius that it was now well after two in the morning. He tried to stifle a yawn as Moody got to his feet and began to shuffle pieces of parchment, attaching odd sheets to the wall with a Sticking Charm. _

_Aberforth__ got up and carried an artist's easel into the centre of the gathering. There were several similar easels propped against the wall, each empty but for one, which held a portrait of a young, dark-haired boy. Aberforth was obviously a keen painter._

_Moody unrolled a large map and attached it to the wooden frame so that all of the group could see it. _

_'This,' Moody stated, pointing at the map with his wand, 'Is Flamel's place; A large castle in the centre of __London__. It's a bloody big place so we need to make sure that we know our way around it before we actually get there.'_

_Judging by the size of the map Sirius guessed that Moody's interpretation of 'bloody big' would be perhaps more correctly defined as 'colossal'._

_ The castle had five floors as well as a spacious attic, cellars and dungeons. A web of corridors divided each floor, turning the whole building into an impossible labyrinth.  Flamel had no fewer than thirty one kitchens, fifty bedrooms and, curiously, one hundred lavatories. The attraction of endless wealth had obviously gone to his head._

_'The Stone is situated up here,' Moody continued, ignoring the open mouths around him. 'Right up on the fourth floor in the left hand corner.' (He indicated to the point on the map with his wand) 'Luckily there is a lift between the second and third floors so we need only climb fourteen hundred and seventy seven steps.'_

_James nearly choked on his tongue 'Fourteen hundred….'_

_'To get into this part of the castle,' Moody continued, ignoring James outrage 'you will need to remember thirteen passwords and will need to perform nine complex charms.'_

_'But,' James continued to protest._

_'If you can't handle that Mr Potter, you are quite welcome to leave.' Moody snarled, baring a set of badly damaged teeth.'_

_'No, no carry on,' James replied coolly._

_'Right, now the most important factor here is time. The Aurors take scheduled half hourly breaks, lasting for half an hour each. We need to conceal ourselves whilst Dolohov is on duty. Potter, I believe you have an Invisibility Cloak. I want you, Black and Fenwick to use that, the rest of you can use one of mine.' Moody nooded towards James. _

_'As soon as Dolohov is off premises we take the Stone. We will have approximately one hour of safe time. Dolohov will return to his shift and realise the Stone is gone after half an hour; he will have to stay on duty for another half an hour, but during his next break he will, doubtlessly, inform Voldemort that the Stone is missing. After that hour is up we need to have our wits about us. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!' Moody roared making everyone but Dumbledore jump._

_Aberforth__ seemed quite impressed by Moody's display of aggression and clapped his hands together with glee. James, on the other hand, seemed decidedly pissed of by Moody's illusion of superiority and scowled at him with great dislike._

_'Right,' Moody said as he got to his feet. 'I'll leave the rest to Albus…er, Aberforth, could I have a quick word about the …erm…layout of this room.'_

_Aberforth__ almost squealed with delight as Moody lead him off into a dimly lit corner of the room._

_The older Dumbledore lounged gracefully upon the shabby velvet sofa and spoke lightly, with great calm._

_'I must admit, you have all made me feel terribly proud tonight. Never had I imagined that you could take on such a task without a trace of doubt in you. You have shown great courage and commitment and my pride makes me feel ashamed, because I ought to have had faith in you all along. I have no right to be proud of you, because I can not be accredited for the courage you show. I did not teach you to be brave and compassionate; you found these qualities within yourselves. Now…'_

_Dumbledore stood in the centre of the circle, his wand poised. I want to quickly run through the spells you will need to perform to gain access to Flamel's quarters. I will also inform you of the passwords Alastor spoke of. Who can remember how to perform 'Exemplum Colloportus?'_

_For almost an hour the group practiced a variety of advanced spells and charms. Those who had managed to fathom the spells needed to gain entry to Flamels' castle went on to practice methods of defence that may come in useful during the foreseen Death Eater attack._

_It was only when Moody rejoined the circle with a tearful Aberforth that the group became silent and seated again. Aberforth, eyes rimmed with angry red flesh, was now looking at Moody with utmost loathing as he clutched the portrait of the handsome dark boy to his chest with such might that his knuckles whitened. _

_'He says I have to throw it away Albie,' Aberofrth wailed. 'He says it's taking up too much space.'_

_Dumbledore's face filled with distaste as he surveyed the painting. 'You will get rid of it Aberforth, because if you do not, I will burn it.'_

_Dumbledore did not sound threatening, nasty or even the slightest bit cross. He remained positively calm and collected._

_'Noooo.__ Albus you can't. You know who this painting shows, don't you brother? You know that it's….'_

_'Silence!'__ Dumbledore raged, abandoning his peaceful aura and replacing it with utmost rage._

_'Now look here Dumbledore,' Moody said placidly. 'There's no need for fuss. Let's just say he keeps his painting in his room out of our way. I was just a bit unhappy about it lying around our work area that's all.'_

_Dumbledore didn't speak. Aberforth took this as a good sign and skipped merrily into a nearby room before returning, minus his painting._

_'Thank you Ally!' he gushed. 'You are by far the kindest man I have ever met.'_

_'No I'm not,' Moody growled (although his cheeks regained a definite pink quality) 'and it's Alastor, or Moody to you.'_

_'Of course Alastor, whatever you wish! You only have to ask and I'm at your service!'_

_Moody sat down heavily and began to cough, a hopeless attempt at trying to drown out the sniggers of Misters Potter and Black._

_'You will all travel to Flamel's house by broomstick.' Dumbledore stated, trying to ignore Moody's predicament. 'The house is not connected to the Floo network and it is protected with an Anti-Apparation Charm, for obvious reasons. The same goes for Gringotts. I wish you all a safe and trouble-free journey. I will meet you all back here in four hours.'_

_With that Moody led the gang back out of the house and up to the cliff tops. The sky was now completely dark, not a single star shone upon the deep, black void. Hogsmeade village was now completely invisible but the imposing structure of __Hogwarts__Castle__ hung in the distance._

_'Right,' Moody sighed. 'We'd better get going. We're heading due west for thirty miles and then south-south-east for twelve. I'll keep up a lead just in case you get lost or veer off course, although the wind is low so that shouldn't be a worry. James, you're a whiz on the old broomstick, you pick up the rear. Now, summon your brooms, we've dithered about enough already.'_

_Obediently each member of the group summoned their broomstick and mounted without delay. _

_'This is it' Sirius thought to himself.  'After months of waiting, begging and pleading, this is finally it.' _

_There was no time for regret. No time for second thoughts and no time for lost nerve. Without a moment to spare Moody kicked off from the ground, followed closely by Aberforth with James trailing behind. _

_The wind whistled through Sirius hair as his broom climbed higher and higher into the night sky._

_He had no idea what was going to happen, not a clue what to expect. All he knew was that he was risking his life, and he prayed that they would all get home safely._

**A/N Ok, I'm going to wrap it up there! Once again I've found myself with too much info to fit into one chapter. I'm not too sure that I'll be able to fit any 'Present Sirius' into the next chapter (big battle scene coming up…with death and other nastiness) so I think chapter 6 will have to be a summary chaper ie. Sirius's reflection on all of this 'Past-y stuff) Sorry if this seems to be veering off course a bit!**

**Oceanjewel****: Sorry about the ending! I don't like to write long chapters, cos if you're anything like me you'll get bored half way through them, and there's just too much to fit in! Hope you enjoyed this one as much as the last. Thanx for reading!**

**PrincessSkywalkerOrgana****: I know Remus wants to help Sirius, I just don't think Sirius is the type of bloke that likes to accept help-he'd rather stew and feel sorry for himself (and there certainly won't be any 'ship-ness' if that's what you mean!) I'll keep adding on if you keep reading!**

**Polkat****: I think I've covered the cave thing haven't I? Yes, the Black's do seem to be a millstone for poor Sirius. I hope Aberforth has been suitably gay, just sorry I don't have the time or space to make him worse….cos he's off to a 'better place' soon. **


	5. Rise and Fall

_Chapter 5: Rise and Fall_

_The journey to Flamel's house passed more quickly than Sirius had expected. The_ _group's flight-path had been a straight one and the air was still and warm despite a screen of black fog. _

_When the group touched down, they landed in the centre of an orchard within the Flamel estate. Moody did not waste time in ushering the group through the bare trees, after making sure that all broomsticks had been well hidden. _

_'We need to be as quick as possible,' he told the Order members as the ambled on behind him._

_Sirius smiled half-heartedly at James as he listened the crunching of the twigs and leaves below his feet. The sky was barely visible from beneath the shelter of the skeletal tree frames, but as light was scarce Sirius guessed that the time could be no later than __three am__. Still this did not give the Order long, with only three hours until sunrise they had to move rapidly as they would be much easier to detect in daylight._

_'Now, we'll need to divide into groups,' Moody said quietly to his followers. 'There's no need for us all to go into the house. Two small groups will do, and a third to keep guard outside.'_

_Mad Eye stopped suddenly in his tracks and faced the others, who stood obediently before him. _

_Sirius stifled a yawn. Hours had passed since the meeting at Aberforth's house and still little had been achieved. After anticipating the day he would finally work against Voldemort for so long, he felt slightly guilty for wishing he was back at home in bed. _

_'Fenwick, I want you to come straight up to the fourth floor with me; mind that you keep behind me, you'll easily get lost and I haven't the time to come looking for you. Alice and Frank… I want you to keep an eye on the other floors. Watch out for Dolohov, or anything else suspicious looking….spy devices and the like.'_

_Moody rested suspicious eyes upon Aberforth's bearded face. 'You'd better take him with you' he instructed Frank and Alice before turning to Sirius and James._

_'Potter, Black, you two patrol the gardens. It's not a large area considering, but you'd best keep your eyes peeled, especially for anyone who might be sneaking in through the woods.'_

_Sirius sighed, his heart sinking._

_Great, he'd come all of this way, in the middle of the night to wander around a garden._

_Moody saw the lack of enthusiasm in the two Marauders faces and scowled. 'I have it on Dumbledore's word that you two are a rare talent with a wand in your hands. With your skills you'd be better off out here. There's little chance of any intruders getting in past Flamel's security system. 'Best thing to do is to try and head them off before they get too far in.'_

_'What do we do if we find anything?' __Alice__ asked._

_'Fawkes warning.'__ Moody said simply. 'Magnificent bird, just summon him…with your mind not your wand. He'll know when you need him and he'll alert the others by sending them a single phoenix feather. Keep a look out for that.'_

_Moody began to move again, weaving in and out of the blackened tree trunks, which gave off a heavy scent of damp wood. _

_Sirius walked rapidly across the crisp carpet of roots and foliage. He, like the others, did not mutter a word until the edge of the orchard was in sight. _

_Finally the inky black sky above came into view, lit dimly by a silver sliver of moonlight. _

_Flamel's__ mansion was plainly visible now that the group were out in the open. It was a large, imposing structure of bright, white marble, blanketed in twisting weaves of ivy. _

_'Merlin!'__ Benjy Fenwick gasped as he surveyed the monstrous structure._

_Moody chuckled humourlessly. 'Don't worry. We're sticking to the north-westerly wing so that minimises the work considerably.'_

_'It's nearly __half past three__,' Frank Lonbottom announced, checking his watch in the pitiful light._

_'Best get going then,' Moody muttered. 'We'll leave you here,' he said to Sirius and James before leading the rest of the group towards the house._

_'I don't believe it!' James muttered angrily. 'He goes swanning off into the warmth whilst we are stood out here, freezing our arses off like the prized prats that we are!'_

_Sirius clapped a hand onto his best friends shoulder before slumping down onto the damp grass._

_'Fine by me,' he affirmed, 'I've been dying for a sit down for ages._

_James smiled and sat down too._

_The land around the Flamel house was minimal, the patch of lawn that they currently occupied was no wider than a Quidditch pitch and only followed along the front of the house. A few wooden chairs were dotted around the grassy floor, surrounded by flower beds that had been rendered obsolete in the winter months. A wide wooden pathway lay just feet away from where James sat. Sirius guessed that this was Flamel's outdoor ten pin bowling alley; the one Dumbledore often enthused about. Long blades of emerald grass had begun to creep over the surface of the alley, which had obviously not been used very often in the colder climate. _

_'How long do you think we'll be out here for?' James asked._

_'Not long,' Sirius replied optimistically, 'Moody told the others they had to move quickly.'_

_James looked as tired as Sirius felt. It seemed strange to them that, after months of nagging Dumbledore to allow them to fight Voldemort, they should feel so utterly unimpressed when finally put into action. Sirius had imagined this moment to be filled with the thrilling, flashing lights of wand battle, not being sat with James on a soggy, old lawn._

_'Do you think Moody'd mind if I had a quick nap?' James muttered, crestfallen._

_'I think he'd rip your head off and feed it to a Hippogriff,' Sirius replied truthfully._

_James nodded, pushing his glasses further up his nose. Sirius gazed hopefully across the perimeter of the orchard, half hoping that Voldemort himself would appear, if only to provide a boost to the evening's entertainment._

_'Reckon we should stand up?' James asked wearily, 'Or get our wands out, or something?'_

_'Nah,' Sirius yawned, too lazy to contemplate any form of movement. _

_James fell against him, resting his head upon Padfoot's shoulders. 'I want my bed,' he wailed melodramatically._

_Sirius chuckled, 'I think Lily will be asleep now mate.'_

_'That's not what I meant.' Prongs scowled. 'I hope she's ok. She'll probably be worried because I'm not home yet.'_

_'Maybe she'll have called those Please-men' again Sirius laughed heartily, earning himself a punch in the arm from James._

_'They aren't 'Please-men' they are 'Police men', and, as Lily found last time, it is actually against muggle law to tell them your fiancé has been murdered, when he has merely stayed over at the Three Broomsticks… after drinking a shed-load of Butterbeer the night before.'_

_Sirius sniggered, earning himself another punch in the arm._

_'I wonder how Moody's getting on,' James pondered as he glanced over towards the house. He's been gone about half an…Hey what's that?'_

_'What'_

_'I just saw something hop over that wall,' James said pointing to a small, stone structure which stood to the far side of the orchard.' _

_Sirius yawned, 'Probably a stray dog or something. Nothing to worry about. I reckon if Dolohov and his cronies are going to strike they'll do so once the Stone's out in the open, not inside that fortress Flamel calls a home.'_

_James nodded half-heartedly. 'Look, I can see Moody though that window. Stand up.'_

_Sirius jumped to his feet, followed by James. The pair withdrew their wands and attempted to look as though they had been 'constantly vigilant' throughout Moody's absence._

_The tall, shaggy haired figure which James had seen moving within Flamel's house crossed the wide lawn, slowly approaching the two friends._

_Sirius watched the man for several seconds. Something in the shape of his silhouette did not fit Moody's frame. This figure was much thinner, he held himself upright and walked with a grace that Moody's clumsy swagger could never have achieved. _

_Padfoot__ laughed, 'It's just Aberforth.'_

_'Oh' James breathed as he slumped back to the ground, not bothering to keep up the pretence. _

_Sirius, however, remained standing. 'What are you doing out here?' he asked urgently Aberforth. 'Has something happened?'_

_'Golly, no,' Aberforth replied. The strange man hitched up the tails of his cloak before sitting elegantly upon the grass next to James. _

_'Then why are you out here?' Sirius continued, staring at Aberforth._

_'I got terribly bored,' Aberforth replied in his airy, high-pitched voice. 'Quite a frightful place really, all of those big empty rooms and not a single easel to be seen. I couldn't live without my paintings.'_

_'Did you paint that portrait that Dumbledore made you move?' James asked._

_'Oh yes, that was my first real portrait. I painted it from memory you know. Tom never would sit still long enough for me to paint him.' _

_A faint line appeared between Aberforth's eyebrows and he continued with bitterness, 'In fact, he never stayed in my presence long enough for me to say 'Hello'. Poor Tom, little did he know of the joy he could bring to a young boys heart.'_

_Sirius and James stayed silent, unsure of how to react to the stranger's musings. Their silence went unnoticed as Aberforth's sorrow quickly passed and a sudden expression of glee overcame his weary face._

_'If Alastor is correct, and the Death Eaters do try to attack us, do you expect that Tom will try and seize the Stone personally?'_

_Sirius sat down next to his best friend and whispered quietly in his ear, 'Who the heck is Tom?'_

_'Dunno,' James replied quietly._

_'Well,' Aberforth replied enthusiastically, 'will he? Will he come?'_

_'Yes,' Sirius replied carelessly. 'I'm sure Tom will come.' He had already grown tired of Aberforth Dumbledore and his stupid rambling. _

_'Yipee!'__ Aberforth cried, 'I haven't seen Tom for absolutely ages. This is going to be such a hoot!'_

_'A hoot?'__ James said dryly. 'A sodding hoot? This guy actually wants us to be attacked!'_

_'Don't be stupid Prongs, he's Dumbledore's brother for Merlin's sake!'_

_'Well, he's definitely out of his tree.' James concluded. _

_The two Marauders sat quietly as Aberforth proceeded to make a daisy chain with flowers he had grown instantly by wand light. Sirius kept his eye on the edge of the orchard whilst James kept a look out for Moody._

_'He's coming,' said James after nearly half an hour of boredom. 'Look there's Fenwick behind him.'_

_Moody and his group sprinted across the lawns to where the Marauders and Dumbledore were sat._

_'Right, move!' Mad-Eye bellowed. The trio took heed and followed on into the orchard._

_It was now almost daylight and it was much easier to find a path amongst the trees now that darkness had gone. Sirius ran quickly and was almost leading the gang when they finally reached the spot where they had hidden their broomsticks. He could see the Philosopher's Stone bulging in Moody's pocket, wrapped in an old, brown handkerchief._

_'Now then,' Moody panted as he swung a leg over his broomstick. 'Frank, take the lead….Black, you bring up the rear. I want you on my right, Potter…Alice on my left,' he paused slightly to catch his breath. 'Fenwick guard me from above…you, stay underneath me,' he finished pointing at Aberforth._

_'It will be a pleasure,' Dumbledore giggled foolishly._

_The group set off with great haste, Frank Longbottom leading the way to Gringotts._

_Sirius found that the further west he flew, the weather conditions began to worsen. It was not long before the world below became invisible under a thick covering of black rain cloud. Fenwick eased the Order members higher up into the sky so that they were right above the clouds and safe from the rain. However, the heavy, winter-wind caused James and Alice to veer of course on several occasions._

_'Pull in closer!' Moody bellowed. _

_His efforts were in vain, as the howling wind drowned out his every word._

_Sirius kept his eyes on the Auror in front of him, being extremely careful to keep in perfect line. It was only the sight of a bright green light, which flashed in front of his face, that made him swerve out of position. _

_Putting the freak occurrence down to lightning, Sirius focused his sights back onto Mad-Eye and Frank ahead of him. Moody suddenly ducked rapidly (a Wronski Feint that any international Quidditch player would have been proud of), and Sirius began to panic. A second flash of green light narrowly missed Alice Longbottom and a third ignited the handle of James' broomstick._

_Glancing quickly at the sky above him, Sirius, out of the corner of his eye, saw three figures bearing down upon him; each wearing long, black cloaks and black masks over their faces._

_Blind panic set in as Sirius tilted his broom towards the ground and made a speedy descent. The speed of his decline was so rapid that his heart seemed to jump into his throat. Several flashes of green light flew past him, missing his arms and head by inches. He urged his broom forward further still, willing it to go faster until it was almost free-falling._

_He could no longer see; even blurred outlines were now invisible; nothing existed but blackness. Sure that he was going to be sick, he tried to slow down….but it was too late. _

_Sirius' broomstick crashed to the ground, throwing its rider off. He felt his leg collide with the ground and heard the sickening crunch as his body crumpled on top of his damaged limb; and then the world around him melted into nothing._

**A/N: Wellllll, I'm really going to have to stop there, otherwise this chapter's going to end up another 2000 words long. We're getting there tho', almost at the first big event. Sorry if this chapter was a bit slow and empty; fitting in Sirius/James interaction time is a bit tricky. They're both a bit careless at the moment, treating the Order a game (like the naughty little Marauders that they are!)but they'll soon learn.  Next chapter will be the big confrontation with the Death Eaters… hopefully we'll return to real time in chapter 7 and mingle past bits in as well. **

**Anyway, replies:**

**Oceanjewel****: Thanks for coming back again! Glad you're still enjoying, sorry I didn't manage to fit the full battle in  :0(  …..and yes, your question about specific tasks has been answered!**

**Polkat****: Glad you like past Sirius, we don't seem to be going back to present Sirius any time soon. I love your Flamel! My original draft of this chapter involved a very pushy and thrifty Pernelle, who _forced_ her poor, suffering husband to buy such a ridiculously big house and other expensive junk. Perhaps they used to live in the cottage, with the greenhouse, until the idea of endless wealth went to her head. Yeah, Aberforth is a bit 'out of his tree' as James so delicately put it. I prefer to think of him as a lost soul, confused about his sexuality, scorned by the only boy he ever loved and forced into seclusion by his over-protective (yet completely sane) older brother. We'll, get to the root (and repercussions) of his character in the next couple of chapters. I can't see where I refer to Sirius as James, perhaps I actually meant James but structured the line badly, which is highly probable. I'm going to shut up now. Goodbye.**


	6. Aberforth's Mistake

Blind panic set in as Sirius tilted his broom towards the ground and made a hasty descent. The speed of his decline was so rapid that his heart seemed to jump up into his throat. Several flashes of green light flew past him, missing his arms and head by inches. He urged his broom forward further still, willing it to go faster until it was almost free-falling.

He could no longer see; even blurred outlines were now invisible; nothing existed but blackness. Sure that he was going to be sick, he tried to slow down….but it was too late.

Sirius' broomstick crashed to the ground, throwing its rider off. He felt his leg collide with the ground and heard the sickening crunch as his body crumpled on top of his damaged limb; and then the world around him melted into nothing.

**__**

**__**

**_Chapter 6: Aberforth's Mistake_**

__

_Sirius had no idea for how long he had been unconscious. When he finally came around he remembered very little at all. _

_His head pounded painfully as if it had been attacked with an iron hammer. His eyes felt heavy and reluctant to open. _

_…Not that he wanted to open them, it seemed as though he had not slept in days… _

_As his senses slowly recovered Sirius became aware that he was lying on what appeared to be damp grass. The air around him was thick and intoxicating, lulling him back to unconsciousness. He tried to fight it, struggling to keep his mind active. _

_'Where are you?'_

_'…come on Sirius'_

_'….remember…'_

_'What happened?'_

_Nothing….._

_He could not place himself at all. _

_Eyes firmly shut he tried desperately to recall where he was and what had happened to him, but he could remember nothing._

_He became aware of a very sharp, stabbing sensation in his leg, a feeling that got stronger by the second. He tried to move his hand to locate the source of the pain, but a fist wrapped itself around his own, preventing him from moving. _

_'What?'_

_'Don't move.'_

_Slowly Sirius allowed his eyelids to part, causing his eyes to ache in protest._

_....how he longed to sleep….._

_He could just about make out the angular features of a young man's face, just inches from his own. _

_Who the person was, he couldn't tell. Gaudy patterns and livid colours swirled in front of his eyes, blinding him and making him feel quite dizzy._

_'It's ok, just keep still.'_

_Though he still did not know the face, Sirius recognised the soft accent immediately – it was Benjy Fenwick._

_'Where am I?'_

_'Just where you landed,' Benjy replied with a laugh. 'Afraid I can't be anymore specific. You remember we veered off course don't ya? The Death Eaters….'_

_Death Eaters.___

_The word flashed in Sirius mind, jolting him back to consciousness as if someone had tipped a bucket of freezing water over his head._

_'James!' _

_He sat up with such force that his broken limb almost parted from his body entirely. He let out a piercing shriek and Fenwick immediately withdrew his wand from his belt._

_'What the hell did I tell you? Don't move!'_

_The young wizard placed the tip of his wand against Sirius leg and muttered a lengthy incantation under his breath._

_A soft beam of purple light drifted from the wand and melted over Sirius' flesh. He felt immediate relief as the spell penetrated his skin and slowly healed his wound. It felt as though warm, soft palms were massaging the break, gently urging the bone back into place and setting it perfectly._

_'How did you…?'_

_'I am a Healer,' Benjy smiled. 'Well a trainee Healer anyways, St Mungo's y' know.'_

_Sirius clambered to his feet urgently and found that he and Fenwick were surrounded by a glowing scarlet shield. The translucent, red dome seemed to be protecting the two friends from the enemy outside._

_'They're battling without us?'_

_Benjy nodded, his handsome face was pale and full of worry._

_'They're badly outnumbered without us. We need to move.'_

_'And James?'___

_'He's doin' fine' Benjy smiled weakly. 'He's a good fighter. He could be great you know, with practice and a bit of experience. I hear you applied to be Aurors.'_

_Sirius nodded curtly - he was in no mood for small talk. _

_His best friend was in danger._

_'Can you get rid of this thing?'_

_Benjy advanced towards the edge of the dome and withdrew his wand._

_'Get ready,' he warned, and Sirius took out his wand._

_With a complex looking charm, Benjy dissolved the protective shield and ran straight back into the heart of the battle._

__

_Sirius took a second to survey the scene around him._

_Several silhouetted figures could be seen in the distance, on what appeared to be grassy wasteland. But for the occasional tree Sirius doubted that this lonely hillside had ever experienced life before. Their exact location was a mystery, there seemed to be nothing but furze and bramble for miles around. _

_The Longbottom's stood a few kilometres away. They looked to be experienced in wand-battle; together they fought off four Death Eaters with well-aimed curses and great defence. Moody took control of the situation, coming to the aid of the struggling Order members rather than engaging in just one single conflict. _

_Benjy was right about James, he was a good fighter but he lacked experience. He had never had to practice defence outside of a classroom, and although he was always top of the class, this scenario presented a whole new challenge; this time the person attacking him actually meant to kill him. _

_Fenwick,__ already engaged in a battle of his own, put up a brave fight with little effort. _

_It seemed to Sirius that the Order was outnumbered due to a missing member, but he did not give himself time to dwell on this. As he stood measuring up his opponents he saw a second Death Eater strike James, who was already trying to repel a particularly persistent attacker. _

_Sirius sprang forward without sparing a second for thought. He ran towards his helpless friend sending a stream of curses towards the two Death Eaters. One curse, a particularly powerful Stunner, stuck the larger of the Death Eaters on the shoulder causing him to fall to the ground. James took heed and dealt the other a powerful blow. Moody ran over to the scene and bound the two fallen Death Eaters with thick iron chains conjured by his wand. _

_The fallen Death Eaters gave no resistance, Sirius worried for a minute that they had been rendered unconscious, (it was hard to tell due to the masks on their faces) but then decided that they had, indeed, deserved it anyway._

_He turned to congratulate James on a job well done, but catching the expression on his best friend's face made him stop him mid-sentence. _

_The mischievous glint, commonly found in James Potter's eyes had been replaced by a look of mingled fear and disgust. His face contorted angrily as his wide eyes fixed upon something in the sky. His black hair was bathed in a dark green light, as was Moody's face, which wore an expression not unlike James's._

_Slowly and uncertainly, Sirius raised his eyes to meet whatever had provoked such emotion from his two companions. His eyes traced the bleak, grey sky to the place where a faint green light bled into the monochrome clouds; he followed the skyline as the pale lime grew stronger and became a bright, brilliant emerald. _

_Sirius did not know what he had expected to find, but on pin-pointing the source of the strange show of colour, he felt his heart stop. _

_A glittering array of deep green stars burned into the weak clouded sky, they dotted around in all directions like a great constellation; but these stars did not portray any of the signs that Sirius had studied in Astronomy. They depicted the symbol feared and reviled by all decent wizards and magical creatures alike – the Dark Mark; a large skull-like figure with a snake protruding from its bony mouth._

_'Whoever conjured that is going to pay dearly for it,' Moody snarled. 'Well don't just stand there you two; it's only a bloody symbol….Its not going to bite you!'_

_Sirius and James obediently began forward. James sprinted further up the field to where Frank and Alice continued to battle skilfully, fighting off two Death Eaters each. Though they coped well with their plight, neither were any nearer to defeating their opponents._

_Sirius jogged to Benjy Fenwick's side and between the pair of them they managed to disable one more Death Eater. Once again Moody came to restrain the victim, who writhed around the grass with fury, cursing and spitting at the Orders feet._

_This time Moody did not order the two men to get a move on, but he smiled at them with a degree of pride. _

_'That's all of 'em'_

_Surprised, Sirius looked around the field and found that Moody was right. All of the Death Eaters had fallen; bound and gagged they lay scattered upon the grassy floor._

_James, Alice and Frank rejoined the group, panting, flushed but triumphant. Sirius wrapped an arm around James' shoulders. _

_'Not bad for a day's work' James gasped, struggling to catch his breath. _

_Moody flicked his wand, and the bodies of the captured Death Eaters flew across the field and landed at his feet. _

_'One, two…wait a minute…..we've only got nine here. Didn't you count ten Fenwick?'_

_'Yes, definitely ten' Benjy confirmed, scanning the landscape uncomfortably. 'I suppose one could have Apparated.'_

_Moody looked thoughtful for a moment, 'Aren't we a man short too?'_

_'Shit,' Sirius spat, 'I noticed when I came through the shield that Aberforth was missing.'_

_'Well bloody find him!' Moody cried._

_The group anxiously began a search of the area, wands drawn and ready for attack. _

_Their search had been fruitless for almost half an hour when the young Dumbledore emerged from the trees; the missing Death Eater bound to his wrist._

_'This little brute tried to curse me!' Aberforth spluttered with outrage, wiping sweat from is weathered brow. 'There I was, sitting behind a tree….minding my own business…' _

_The Order members gathered around the furious looking man, each as puzzled as the next. _

_'Sitting behind a tree?' Moody asked with forced politeness._

_'Well,' Aberforth began, raising his eyebrows. 'I never did like confrontation you know….very unpleasant.'_

_Moody frowned but allowed the coward to continue. _

_Sirius thought that had Aberforth not been Albus Dumbledore's younger sibling Moody would have physically torn him to shreds; his tolerance was only reflective of his respect for his old friend._

_'Sooo, I was just minding my own business, enjoying the skirmish from afar when this dreadful cur tries to attack me!'_

_ The high pitched horror in Aberforth's voice caused Sirius and James to smirk. _

_'I hit him with a Babbling Charm,' continued Aberforth, 'Only he appears to have talked himself to sleep.'_

_The Death Eater did appear to be asleep. His body remained rigidly upright but his hooded head rolled forward onto his chest. _

_Moody undid the manacle that bound the Death Eater to Aberforth, who quickly moved aside as if scared the unconscious enemy was carrying something contagious. _

_The black robed figure fell to the floor. _

_Moody raised his wand as if to bind him, but before he had a chance to act the Death Eater disappeared. _

_'You fool,' Moody hissed at Aberforth. 'He wasn't unconscious….he was taking you for the bloody thick mug that you are!'_

_Aghast, Aberforth began to sob; Fenwick tried to comfort him but succeeded only in making the pitiful figure sob louder._

_'We need to get to Gringotts now!' Moody bellowed. 'Find you broomsticks…'_

_The end of Moody's sentence died in his throat. The other Death Eaters, which had lain so motionlessly at his feet, had disappeared too._

_ For a moment Moody looked very scared. _

_He had good cause to._

_ Seconds later the Death Eaters reappeared, fully fit. _

_They formed a circle around the group, blocking their escape. _

_The first curse came from the tallest of the Death Eaters, followed by retaliation from Frank Longbottom. _

_The battle recommenced in full force-the Order members hindered by a lack of space within the Death Eaters circle._

_This time Aberforth joined the fight, evidently keen to show his talents to Moody and hopefully make amends for his previous mistake. He was a good fighter, not as brilliant as one would expect the brother of Albus Dumbledore to be, but still he was swift in movement. His main downfall was his apparent lack of knowledge; he performed basic body-bind charms and other less powerful spells that had no real hope of disabling a Death Eater for any considerable amount of time. _

_Sirius struggled to fend off two wizards at once. From the corner of his eye he watched as Moody tried to relieve him of the more powerful of the two; in the process the Auror fell to the floor and had to be rescued by __Alice__._

_Aberforth too ran to Moody's aid but never quite made it to his side. Instead he stopped several feet away, his eyes fixed upon the ground._

_'Expelliarmus!'_

_Sirius reverted to traditional fighting methods in hope of quickly defeating his remaining opponent. _

_After securing the Death Eater's wand he threw a heavy punch which collided with the masked forehead. Making extra certain that his opponent was defeated, Sirius then turned back to Aberforth who was gathering something up from the floor; his eyes were fixed greedily upon the small object. It appeared to Sirius that Aberforth's find was merely a screwed up handkerchief, it had probably fallen from Moody's pocket._

_Sirius froze._

_ The last time he had seen Moody's handkerchief it had been hanging from the Auror's cloak, wrapped around the Stone._

_'Aberforth, wait! Give that…' Sirius stopped._

_A blinding flash of green light erupted just feet from the young Dumbledore; who looked thoroughly frightened though he kept a jealously tight hold on the Stone._

_Sirius watched the light intently as it grew brighter and flickered. He was vaguely aware that the Death Eaters had ended their attack and regrouped in their circle. _

_The light slowly became wider and Sirius watched in horror as a figure emerged from the beam, which seemed to have provided some sort of doorway. _

_The light died. _

_Alice, Frank and the others grouped silently behind Sirius who, but for Aberforth, stood closest to the new arrival. The circle of Death Eaters widened as the hooded figures spread themselves out._

_Sirius's heart began to pound as he realised that they were all trapped. He knew now was the time to Apparate although Moody had other ideas._

_'Stay where you are,' he whispered, 'we can't move until we have The Stone'_

_Aberforth certainly didn't seem to have any plans to leave. His eyes were fixed upon the figure that had just seconds ago passed thought the mysterious channel of light. _

_The boy looked to be around the age of seventeen. He had dark eyes and an untidy crop of thick black hair. He wore black robes which contrasted terribly with his ghostly white skin._

_Sirius heard Moody's footsteps as the Auror slowly crept to Aberforth's side. It was only now that he could see the expression on Moody's face, and he had never seen anyone look so scared. Aberforth on the other hand appeared to be positively delighted. He grinned insanely at the young boy who regarded him with a kind smile._

_'Hello Aberforth. It has been such a long time.'_

_'What's going on?' Sirius thought _

_Surely if the youngster knew Aberforth, he must have come to help. Perhaps Dumbledore had sent him._

_The boy had spoken with such a sweet sincerity that Aberforth was moved to tears._

_'I hoped you would have kept in touch.'_

_'I didn't think you wanted me to Tom!' Aberforth wailed with mixed happiness and sorrow. 'I thought you despised me!'_

_The boy spoke again but this time Sirius was sure that his voice held a note of mockery - something Aberforth did not sense. _

_'I could never despise you Aberforth. I admit I resented you – How could I not; your brother being who he is?'_

_'Now listen here!' Moody cried, brandishing his wand at the stranger. 'I don't know who you are but I'll be damned if I allow you to speak about Albus Dumbledore in that tone!'_

_Sirius became aware that the Death Eaters had moved closer, keen to protect this boy from harm._

_Tom waved an arm, warning them to stay back._

_'You don't know who I am?' the boy asked with mock astonishment. A secretive smile played upon his handsome face. _

_'I can hardly be surprised. After all, the great Professor Dumbledore would not want to talk about Tom Riddle. The young man his brother was so infatuated with….. The young man who became Lord Voldemort.'_

_Sirius jumped back in horror. The mere sound of that name drove fear into his heart….but to be faced with its owner…words could not describe the terror he felt… terror which emanated from those around him, even those who stood in black hoods._

_How could this be Lord Voldemort? _

_It didn't seem real. _

_This boy could not be He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named….The most reviled wizard of all time._

_Aberforth looked on in confusion._

_'So you really are Lord Voldemort? Golly Tom….No wonder you don't come to our Hogwarts reunions.'_

_'Well, it wouldn't really be appropriate. Not as the current Headmaster wishes me dead.'_

_The young Dumbledore stepped forward and placed a hand on Tom's shoulder._

_'No Tom, he doesn't. Not really. If only he knew the real you. How can you expect him to like you if go around committing nasty killings? Did you know one of your men tried to curse me?'_

_Moody, who seemed to be having trouble believing what he was hearing, suddenly started forward towards Tom, as if going to strangle him. _

_He was stopped by a Death Eater, who conjured a rope and bound the Auror. A second Death Eater bound the rest of the Order members, barring Aberforth, similarly._

_'See Tom!' cried Aberforth. 'See! They are frightful wretches! Why did you let them do that? Are you not their boss?'_

_Tom laughed a cold, mirthless laugh._

_'Now Aberforth lets not play silly games. Why don't you hand me that thing in your hand?'_

_Automatically Aberforth's eyes fell to the Stone, which he held out towards Tom._

_'Nooooo!'__ Moody yelled as he lay on the ground, bound with glowing red rope from shoulder to ankle._

_Aberforth looked down at Moody and said. 'It's ok Ally. He won't lose it.'_

_'He's Voldemort you stupid fool!' Moody bellowed 'He'll kill us all.'_

_Confused Aberforth turned back to his old school-friend. _

_'You won't will you Tom? You wouldn't kill me and my friends?'_

_'Of course not.'__ Tom smiled. 'You can come and look at it sometimes, if you'd like Aberforth. You'd like that wouldn't you?'_

_Aberforth smiled brightly then asked, 'Or, if I keep it at my house you could come and visit us? I really would like to keep it,' his grip tightened upon the Stone, his eyes full of longing. 'I don't get to go out much you see…..and it would be really nice to have this to play with. What do you say?'_

_Sirius watched the circus show in horror, his life depending on Aberforth's common sense._

_Moody writhed angrily spitting furiously at Aberforth._

_'Give him that Stone and I'll kill you myself even if he doesn't!'_

_'Now Mr Moody,' Tom laughed humourlessly, 'is that any way to speak to my friend? Give the Stone to me Aberforth…..come on. He held out a pallid palm expectantly._

_Aberforth looked at Moody, as if suddenly remembering his new found interest. _

_'We could always just allow him to borrow it. That would be ok.'_

_'Yes' Tom smiled, 'Yes, of course. I'll bring it back.'_

_A few of the Death Eaters sniggered; apparently as bemused by the scene as the Order members._

_'Ok,' Aberforth whispered and he placed the Stone in Tom's hand._

_What happened next would give Sirius nightmares for years to come._

_He watched with fear as Tom Riddle wrapped his long, bony fingers around the Stone. _

_…The long fingers which grew longer and paler, grey scales covering the once smooth white flesh…._

_Tom screwed up his face in agony as it too became paler. His features slowly became less prominent, as if they were sinking back into his face. The contours of his features melted into a shapeless mask; his nose shrank to two deep slits in his face. He gave a blood-curdling howl as the transformation took hold. His hands flew to his eyes which were no longer dark brown but bright red with long cat-like pupils. Tom's whole figure grew taller and more imposing. _

_The transformation from Tom Riddle to Lord Voldemort took only seconds in reality but the scene played out as if in slow motion. _

_The fully formed Voldemort was perfectly silent; the piercing shrieks of Tom Riddle disappeared as quickly as the boy himself._

_Aberforth looked on in horror as his boy-hood idol regarded him through menacing snake-like eyes._

_'So,' Voldemort sneered, his voice high and cold, so unlike the young man he had so recently replaced. 'Aberforth Dumbledore… still the blind fool he always was.'_

_Sirius thought he had witnessed Aberforth's heart visibly sink in his chest, as slowly the cost of his actions dawned on him._

_'Tom….what happened to Tom?'_

_'There is no Tom,' Voldemort said curtly, 'Tom Riddle has not existed for many years…you will soon know the feeling.'_

_And without any warning Voldemort withdrew his wand and pointed it directly between Aberforth's eyes._

_'Avada Kedarva.'_

_Sirius did not have time to call a warning, or even to scream in protest. The flash of green light hit Aberforth immediately. Hid body slumped to the floor before Voldemort had even lowered his wand._

_'Goodbye fool. Your brother will join you soon, I can promise.' _

_Voldemort__ turned his head to face Moody and the others. _

_'I think I will allow my Death Eaters the honour of ending your worthless lives.'_

_He seemed ready to Apparate, the Stone still clutched tightly in his hand, when a loud crack from behind caused him to jump._

_'Dumbledore,' he hissed without even turning around._

_His nostrils twitched as though he recognised his old enemy by scent._

_Sirius raised his head to find that Albus Dumbledore had in fact Apparated just inches behind Voldemort. He stood tall, wand held high with a dignified expression of calm upon his pale face._

_Dumbledore moved closer to his enemy so that the pair stood just inches apart. _

_Sirius drew breath sharply._

_What on earth was Dumbledore doing?_

_Had he gone mad?_

_The Hogwarts headmaster seemed quite fearless. His serene demeanour did not falter though his eyes seemed fearful to stray away from Voldemort, who held his wand so that it almost touched his old Professor's face. _

_'You will not leave this place with that Stone, Tom.' Dumbledore said casually. 'You may as well hand it over now. You know you cannot defeat me.'_

_Voldemort__ smirked, his hideous, pale face contorting with supressed humour._

_'And who is to stop me? Your gallant army? I am afraid they are a little tied up at the moment.'_

_Without blinking Dumbledore clapped his hands and the ropes that bound Sirius and the others fell to the floor. _

_Sirius watched as the ropes wriggled across the grass like snakes and then coiled around the Death Eaters feet and slithered up around their shoulders._

_'Nicely done,' Voldemort said silkily. 'But such little tricks will not help your brother will they?'_

_For the first time since his arrival Dumbledore allowed his eyes to fall upon the lifeless form of his sibling, Aberforth._

_'Such a shame…. If you had been a few seconds earlier the buffoon could have been saved…Just as this could have been.'_

_Voldemort__ opened his hand to reveal the Philosopher's Stone, blood red and gleaming, resting upon his palm.___

_The Order members moved closer, closing in upon the two enemies, leaving the Death Eaters struggling to pull themselves free of their ropes. _

_'Your darling brother is dead Albus, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed finishing him off.'_

_Voldemort's__ eyes burned bright red as he taunted Dumbledore, relishing his moment of triumph._

_'Though not half as much as I will enjoy putting an end to you.'_

_Moody stepped further towards Voldemort so that he stood side by side with Dumbledore, who was still gazing down upon his enemy's latest victim._

_'Take the captives to Azkaban,' Dumbledore told Moody as he handed him a small copper coin. Moody took the object and nodded in understanding._

_'The rest of you will return to Headquarters and await my return. Do try to get some rest.'_

_Whilst he spoke, Dumbledore switched his gaze to Voldemort carefully keeping him in sight, his wand ready to act against its owner's oldest foe._

_'You will take my Death Eaters nowhere!' Voldemort hissed and turned his wand to Moody who had already approached the prisoners. He tried to curse the Auror but his spell missed and Moody vanished, Death Eaters in tow._

_Sirius concluded that the copper coin must have been a Portkey – but how had Dumbledore known? _

_He had known where to find he group, he had known of Aberforth's death and he had already made plans to send the Death Eaters to Azkaban. _

_Somehow Sirius was not entirely surprised, Dumbledore always did seem to know everything…though some things still slipped beneath his knowledge._

_Voldemort__ raised his wand, his face livid. He threw a curse, a killing curse, at his old rival who Apparated and reappeared some feet away._

_'I have asked you to return to Headquarters,' he told the Order plainly, 'please do as I say.'_

_Fenwick looked hesitant. It seemed ridiculous to leave Dumbledore here alone…to leave him with Lord Voldemort._

_The steely glint in Dumbledore's eyes told his followers not to disobey him._

_The calm, wizened figure radiated such a wealth of energy and strength that Sirius secretly thought that Dumbledore would be just fine without them; he possessed more skill and knowledge than the entire Order put together. _

_Sirius took the lead in Apparating from the field - leaving his mentor to face his brother's slayer completely alone. _

_It seemed to him that this should be a private victory for Dumbledore, something that the old wizard had to do on his own…_

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**A/N Ok, must first of all apologise for the far-too-long-ness of this chapter…and also for the daftness (!) I promise I will never again put silly slashyness into this fic! (although some strange things may happen to Peter!) Next chapter will be more serious…honest! Well anyway ...replies:**

**Oceanjewel****: Hmm…have to admit I'm not all that fond of Lily, but I will definitely build her up. I don't like the idea of her being house-wifey either, she seemed too ballsy for that ( in Snape's Worst Memory, OotP) I'll stick a lot more character interaction in (past and present) cos it is so much more interesting than endless battling. Glad you're still reading!**

**EloraCooper4: ooh, where to start? Thank you for reviewing…and sorry for keeping you up past bed-time! Ermm, yes, unfortunately Aberforth didn't go too far at all (despite all objections) …which is a shame cos I really loved him! (tho' I suspect he is really the barman at the Hogs Head so he hasn't gone too far!) Yes, he had very 'interesting' taste! I'm very sorry Remus wasn't included but he will be back next chapter. There will be more Marauder bonding in both time-zones, though I hadn't really considered their jobs..will have to get thinking! **

**Polkat****: Errrr, think we have discussed this already...but then, when have I needed an excuse to warble on for hours about nothing?! Sirius and James did suck as guardspeople, but they're still quite young and silly, I think Aberforth's…hmmm…'going on holiday' may have made them wise up a bit …..No there will be no James/Sirius! James/Filibuster/Peter's arse, will still be going ahead tho' I'm going to post this now as I have already been told off about not posting it….rolls eyes If I wasn't wasting time reading emails asking 'where is your chapter?' I would be getting on with it! **


	7. A Lesson Learned The Hard Way

**__**

**_Chapter 7: A lesson learned the hard way_**

Remus Lupin sat in complete silence as Sirius came to the sad conclusion of his story. His eyes were fixed on the table in front of him, he did not dare raise them to meet his best friend's gaze. He couldn't bare that look of helpless sorrow that lingered in Padfoot's sad, grey eyes.

'He just fell, Moony,' Sirius said in barely a whisper. 'Didn't say a word…didn't even see it coming. Just fell.'

Remus nodded slowly, wishing Sirius would stop. He didn't want to think about Aberforth Dumbledore. He didn't want to be reminded of what Voldemort was capable of. Most of all, he didn't want to be reminded of the terrible pain that his oldest friend had had too live through. It was memories like this, he thought, that Sirius had been forced to relive for almost thirteen years in Azkaban. He did not want him to have to suffer such torment any more.

'It was a long time ago Padfoot,' he said slowly, still not daring to lift his eyes. 'Time has moved on.'

'How?' Sirius demanded. 'How have things moved on? We are still living in fear of the very same enemy. Aberforth Dumbledore is still dead. His blood was the first to be spilled when the Order first formed. Don't you worry that it is only a matter of time before the new Order loses its first member? That it isn't a matter of 'if' we lose our friends in battle but 'when'?'

'Of course I do' Remus said angrily. 'But there is little point in brooding over the past. We are stronger than we were last time. We are prepared…we know what to expect.'

The chair Sirius had been sitting on screeched as he backed it across the stone floor and got to his feet.

Remus looked up as his friend leaned across the table towards him, their faces now only inches apart.

Torment glittered in Sirius' eyes as he hissed, 'Harry doesn't!'

Sinking back into his chair, trying to suppress the anger building inside, Sirius furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought.

_Why didn't Remus understand?_

At first, Aberforth's murder had scared him out of his wits. He and James had been shaken by the event for months after. But it was years later when the full force of this event really began to affect him. He could remember that day as clearly as if it was yesterday – it was the day he was informed that his godson would one day have to face a very similar fate. Little Harry would one day have to come face to face with Voldemort – and perhaps suffer the same terrible end.

That day seemed to be approaching at rapid speed…

Remus always seemed so casual about the whole thing. But then, Remus had never been separated for the world as Sirius had been. Remus had years of preparation, knowing that one day Harry would discover his heritage and that he, Remus, could be there for James's son. Sirius had given up long ago on the notion of ever seeing Harry again, suddenly the responsibility of caring for his young godson had been thrust upon him …his fear of failing Harry was great, but the fear of failing James was greater.

Lupin had crossed the room and poured himself a fresh mug of tea. Sirius wearily got to his feet and began to tidy the table.

'Moody should be along tomorrow,' said Remus, sitting down to his tea.

'Great,' Sirius replied unenthusiastically, 'Does this mean you're off again?'

'Afraid so,' said Remus blowing cool air into his cup. 'I'm on duty at the Department of Mysteries again. Thought I may as well get a couple of shifts in before the next full moon.'

Sirius laughed 'So I guess the pleasure of housing a mad werewolf will fall with me again?'

'If you don't mind,' Remus smiled.

'Well I don't mind, though I don't think Buckbeak was too thrilled last time. And Kreacher nearly hit the roof!'

Remus grinned, 'I'd have thought he'd find a werewolf quite mild-mannered after living with your mother!'

The rest of the day passed fairly quickly, all too quickly for Sirius's liking. He and Remus spent the afternoon chasing Boggarts out of the attic.

'You know, the Ministry would have you in Azkaban for breeding Dangerous Magical Creatures if they got wind of this lot,' panted Lupin after successfully finishing off his fifth Boggart in a row. His brow dripped with beads of perspiration as he pushed a mass of damp hair from his eyes.

'Of all of the things the Ministry could put me in Azkaban for these are the least of my worries,' Sirius replied dryly as he emerged from behind a dusty antique wardrobe, wispy smoke drifting from his wand.

'Yeah….sorry…forgot.' Remus said hastily.

Sirius smiled, 'Glad someone can. Anyway I think we might be done here.'

He glanced around the spacious attic which seemed now be a Boggart free-zone. Blazing torches burned upon the walls illuminating the dingy space with a livid, red glow. Pieces of old furniture had been pushed up against the walls and the floor was littered with old, wooden crates.

'Yep. Looks like we got them all.' Remus replied. 'Oh, no, wait.'

He strode over to a particularly gaudy looking night-table of polished mahogany with brass handles. He prodded the side of the cabinet with his wand and it immediately began to shake. There was definitely something lurking inside.

Sirius knelt down in front of the piece, covering his robes in cobwebs in the process. He ran his fingers over the lavishly carved door, tracing the outline of the Black family crest followed by the motto 'Toujours Pur.' In the middle of the crest the initials 'RB' had been carved into the thick wood.

'My mother had this made for Regulus,' Sirius said flatly, 'the day he received his Hogwarts letter. She couldn't bear the thought of him having to use one of the old cabinets in the Slytherin dormitories so she instructed father to have one made for him.' He wiped a patch of dust from the lid of the cabinet. Underneath, faintly outlined in gold, was the Slytherin serpent.

'Obviously determined not to have another Gryffindor in the family,' Remus mused.

Sirius laughed dryly. 'So, who gets to tackle the Boggart, you or me? I daresay you are a dab hand with Boggarts Professor Lupin!'

He grinned broadly at Remus, who wore a look of mock offence, but proceeded to open the cabinet door. Sirius stood back and watched as the Boggart emerged and assumed the shape of a silvery orb.

'I'll have you know,' Lupin began with a note of superiority, 'that I taught your godson to produce a corporeal Patronus using a Boggart.'

'Well Professor, I am impressed!' Sirius smiled. 'But tell me that you ever put him in detention and I will have to Transfigure you into a teapot!'

Remus expelled the Boggart and sighing turned to face his friend. 'No…but,' he feigned a grimace, 'I did have to confiscate the Marauder's Map.'

Sirius eyes widened as he gasped, 'You took away the Map?'

'Yeah,' Remus smiled, 'I have to admit it broke my heart taking it from him. Our Map, in the hands of James' son! Anyway, I gave it back, eventually.'

'I should hope so, Sirius replied, 'I wondered what had become of that Map. I could have cried when Filch confiscated it.'

'As I remember, you did!' Remus laughed. 'I bet you'd have got it back too, if it hadn't been our last day of school.'

Remus left at night-fall. As Sirius got into bed he thought fondly of the day he had spent with his friend. It had been so long since he and Remus had spent a day together, just talking. He lay there for some hours looking back at the time he had spent with Lupin since his escape, and the days they had spent together at Hogwarts. He thought also of James, and a little of Peter, and felt warmed by the happy memories he had for so long been denied.

Was it really so long ago that he had arrived at Hogwarts, a cocky, over-confident eleven year old?

Could it be possible that almost twenty years had been and gone since he had passed his NEWT's and joined the Order?

It seemed ridiculous to think that James' son was now fifteen years old and rapidly approaching adulthood.

'He's a credit to you Prongs,' he laughed silently in his head 'and thankfully much better behaved than his father.'

With that thought in his mind Sirius lifted his wand and extinguished the gas lamp that burned above his bed. He pulled his quilt up over his ears and closed his eyes, waiting to lapse into a peaceful sleep – but rest didn't come.

As he lay there in the still, silent darkness, his memory once again flitted back to the death of Aberforth Dumbledore.

The face of the young Dumbledore hovered in his mind; his face, white and slightly weathered, seemed to be floating across the room before him.

It was strange how accurately Sirius could picture Aberforth, having only met him the once, but every detail of the man's appearance seemed to be burned into his memory - the short, slightly auburn hair that curled perfectly beneath his long, pointed ears and the wide, slightly crooked smile that could turn into a ferocious frown at the drop of a hat.

But the picture was always tainted, by the pained look of horror that always resided within the watery, blue eyes; the same expression they had held the night that Voldemort had raised his wand and brought Aberforth Dumbledore's life to a very sudden end.

Sirius shuddered, closing his eyes more tightly, trying to will the image away. But screwing his eyes up made no difference, it was as if Aberforth was taunting him. His face only became clearer, the expression of fear becoming more pronounced.

_Why didn't you save me Sirius?_

'I couldn't!' Sirius yelled suddenly, sitting up rigidly upon his mattress. His face was dripping with a horrible, cold sweat. His heart was pounding.

His breathing, which had grown rapid quickly returned to normal and the fear he had felt was replaced by shame.

'What the hell is wrong with you?' he scolded himself as he lay back down again.

Although he felt stupid for allowing his imagination to run away from him like that, he was still slightly troubled by the voice he had heard. He realised, of course that the sound had come from inside his own head, but it had sounded so like Aberforth's.

It wasn't as if he could have saved Aberforth anyway, no-one could.

Unless Dumbledore had arrived earlier.

_No one quite knew what had happened between Voldemort and Dumbledore the morning of Aberforth's death. _

_Nobody had ever asked. _

_Albus had returned from the battle, pale yet calm and unharmed. He may not have defeated his old enemy that day but Sirius was sure that Voldemort had come away second best. _

_….. 'We've got to get back there Moody. I can't believe we just left him there!' Sirius cried in frustration, pacing the length of Aberforth's lower living area. 'Anything could be happening out there.'_

_'Sit down boy, you'll give yourself a heart-attack' Moody growled. 'This is nothing to do with the Order. This is between Albus and Voldemort.'_

_Sirius shivered, he wished Moody would not say that name out loud. _

_'What if he's in trouble? What if…'_

_'Oh for Merlin's sake!' Moody bellowed, his face drained of colour. 'And I suppose a great lump like you is going to save him?'_

_Sirius scowled. Fenwick placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. _

_'Dumbledore will be fine' the young wizard said calmly. 'Haven't you ever heard, Dumbledore is the one wizard that You-Know-Who fears? I really doubt that Riddle will have hung around to duel anyway. I'd like to bet he Apparated straight out of there once we'd left. He's too scared to face Dumbledore without his monkeys I reckon.'_

_'Then where is Dumbledore?' James asked quietly. He sat curled up upon the tattered sofa in the centre of the room, his legs drawn up to his chest._

_'I dare say he's probably gone off somewhere quiet,' Frank Longbottom replied. 'He'll want some time alone no doubt.'_

_Moody nodded silently and then addressed Frank._

_ 'Perhaps it would be a good idea if we went back up there to have a look, eh? Best if just the two of us go.'_

_Frank agreed. _

_'We'll Apparate. If we aren't back in half an hour it would probably be a good idea if the rest of you alerted the Ministry.'_

_Moody uttered his approval, 'Tell the Minister we'll be needing a team of Hit-Wizards and a couple of trackers…er….maybe a group of Aurors too – but only if we aren't back in half an hour.'_

_'Yep, will do,' Sirius agreed._

_'And Sirius' said Frank, 'look after __Alice__ for me.'_

_With a loud crack, Frank and Moody Apparated._

_Sirius glanced over his shoulder and watched __Alice__ for a moment. She had moved away from the group and stood at the opposite end of the large room, examining the large tomes that filled Aberforth's bookshelves. He could tell, even from the back of her head, that __Alice__ was in tears. Slowly and quietly he crossed the room to where she stood, being careful not to startle her. As he grew nearer he could hear her stifled sobs and the sharp intake of her breath. _

_'__Alice__?'_

_No longer bothering to hide her sorrow __Alice__ began to cry loudly, her shoulders shaking with emotion. She turned her wide, tear-stained face and Sirius could see the suppressed fear building up in her wide, gleaming eyes._

_'What if he doesn't come back?' she asked her voice barely audible. 'What if…'_

_'Shhhh' Sirius wrapped his arms around his friend's wife and held her tightly to his chest. 'He's going to be fine,' he whispered, stoking the back of her hair calmingly. 'Frank will be back in no time, you'll see.'_

_'I hope your right,' __Alice__ said 'I've lost so many friends in this war already, I couldn't bear to loose my Frank. We've only just married you know. This was supposed to be a new beginning for us…not the end.'_

_James walked over to where Sirius and Alice stood with three steaming mugs of coffee in his hand._

_'Here,' he handed his friends a mug each. __Alice__ smiled her thanks and accepted the cup. 'it's been twenty minutes now, I reckon they'll be back any minute.'_

_Sure enough, at that moment, Dumbledore emerged down the stone stairway, the lifeless form of his youngest brother held tightly in his arms. His face was white and gaunt yet his manner seemed as calm as ever._

_'__Alice__,' he said quietly, 'I have sent Frank home, you must join him immediately I expect you have been worried out of your mind. I have no doubt Lily will be feeling exactly the same,' he told James, 'You too should be getting home. And don't forget to let Peter and Remus know that we are all safe and sound. Benjy, I believe St Mungo's are expecting you at work in a few hours, go home and rest.'_

_The headmaster turned to Sirius, his expression apologetic._

_'If you would not mind Sirius, I have one more favour to ask of you.'_

_Sirius eyes fell unwittingly to the pale, wasted face of Aberforth Dumbledore._

_'Don't waste your pity on him,' Dumbledore said sternly. He cast his eyes around the room and addressed the gathering as a whole. 'I do not expect any of you to throw your sympathy away on my brother, I am afraid to say he does not deserve an ounce of it. This man almost cost all of you your lives today, he was lucky that his actions only ended his own.'_

_Dumbledore sighed deeply and then continued, 'You must forgive me though, if I still feel the need to grieve his passing.' _

_With that he disappeared into Aberforth's room._

_Sirius looked from Alice, to Benjy and James._

_'You heard what he said,' he told them 'You lot get off home. James, would you let Remus know that I'm safe, but I won't be home for a while. I'll probably see you all at the meeting tonight.'_

_James nodded and Apparated at the same time as the other two._

_Sirius yawned widely, wishing that he could go home but knowing full well that even if he did he wouldn't be able to sleep. The last two days had been, so far, the strangest of his life and having lived under the same roof as his batty mother and power-mad father for sixteen years, strange was something he was generally quite accustomed to. He followed Dumbledore into Aberforth's room, where he found his former Professor tucking his sibling's body into the covers of a grand four-poster bed._

_'Do you think,' Dumbledore said without raising his eyes from his brother's face 'that you could kindly remove that painting from this room and have it destroyed.'_

_Sirius' eyes immediately fell to the portrait that hung above Aberforth's bed – the one Dumbledore had threatened to burn the previous day. The portrait Aberforth had painted of Tom Riddle._

_Obliging, Sirius took the painting from the room and propped it up against a bookcase in the living area._

_'Inflammare' he flicked his wand and set the picture ablaze. He watched as golden flames licked the surface of the canvas, scorching it before turning it to dust. The pale, thin face of Tom Riddle blistered and melted grotesquely. _

_Sirius felt it was a shame that he was not practiced in voodoo curses, though he doubted that Dumbledore would have allowed him to place one on the portrait anyway. The Hogwarts Head was irritatingly noble when it came to using Dark magic. _

_It took several minutes for the painting to disintegrate completely. When it did its golden frame was left standing empty, black ash covering the floor._

_'Thank you.'_

_Padfoot turned around to find Dumbledore stood directly behind him. The old man's voice sounded hoarse though he showed no emotion. _

_'You may go now. I will see you at sundown.'_

_'What about Aberforth?'_

_'I will begin to make the arrangements soon, but not before I've had a stiff brandy. Now get yourself home Sirius, there is nothing more you can do.'_

_Sirius nodded silently and quietly made his way out of the underground cabin._

_Suddenly his need for sleep had subsided. He felt that he wouldn't be able to sleep again._

_The face of Aberforth Dumbledore haunted every conscious minute_

_… Questioning whether the man could have been saved, if only someone had acted in time…wondering if he had suffered any pain... _

_But the thought that caused Sirius the most torment of all was the worryt that somewhere along the line his actions had contributed to the death of the young Dumbledore. The sneaking suspicion had crept into his mind on remembering the figure James had seen vaulting over the wall around Nicholas Flamel's home._

_He had, at the time, dismissed the intruder as a stray dog. Could it possibly have been Dolohov? Had the Death Eater returned to the mansion and alerted his master of the Stone's removal?_

Was Aberforth's death Sirius's fault?

Somehow, it seemed that he would never know.

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**Polkat**: sniffs Poor old Aberforth's gone now, I'm gonna miss that crazy nutter! Glad you liked that line ('So you really are Lord Voldemort? Golly Tom….No wonder you don't come to our Hogwarts reunions.') it had me laughing for ages (cos I am one of those reeeally sad people who laugh at their own jokes…usually more than anyone else) I think the humour will have to be left to the Marauders now – well it's what they do best! …I am still trying to squeeze the Peter/Filibusters/Peter's arse thing in somewhere…probably at Christmas, which isn't too far away! 

**Oceanjewel** :Glad you liked the last chapter and… grins here we are back in OOTP time! I think we'll stay in OOTP time for the next chapter or two, kinda drifting back now and again like this one…then some more maraudery stuff with James and Remus (and as little Peter as I can get away with!)I do apologise for the sillyness, I will try not to do it again! I did love Aberforth tho' and seeing as tho most of the fic is going to be full of battles and death I thought it would be good to stick a bit of humour at the beginning (probably could have done without the slash tho!) Nah, I'm not really fond of Lily. I can't help but think that her marriage to James probably killed the Marauders – she probably ruined all their fun (eg. Not allowing james to attack snape)And it does suck that she gets more praise than james for saving Harry. I will go and check out that 'crossroads' fic soon tho' and may even change my mind. 

**Jedi Solo:** Thanks for reading! Have to admit I don't like slash either (especially the Sirius/Remus variety!) but I loved the idea of Dumbledore having a camp, and very deranged, younger brother. I would love to do an Aberforth fic – perhaps a short one about how he killed his other siblings and ended up living in a secluded, underground home – maybe I will at some point, I'm starting to miss him already! Remus will be around more in coming chapters (and he will even have a couple of his own, but much further down the line!) Also thanks for reading 'Dangerous Memories'. I wrote that so long ago I almost took it down! Sorry for making you upset, I will never make Remus do bad things again…well, for a while. I don't know about doing a Sonny fic. I have a horrible feeling had she lived she'd probably have ended up married to Sirius . By the way, I have started to read 'Final Legacy' I am afraid I am the worlds slowest reader but I will get a move on and get a review to you ASAP (from what I've read so far it is very good!)


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